Coompo Research Chemicals

It seems to moderately increase telomerase activity and proliferative capacity in both CD4 and CD8 T cells in in vitro experiments. Recent studies have shown that shortened telomeres are responsible for a number of age-related diseases and are also predictive of premature death in elderly subjects. This has been confirmed by examining the immune response of T lymphocytes in terminal-phase infection, the T lymphocytes having significantly shortened telomeres. The study showed a noticeable fall in immune function and increased secretion of various cytokine-related pro-inflammatory factors. In contrast, maintaining a high telomerase level, whether through genetic manipulation or through the introduction of activating substances (such as cycloastragenol), curtails shortening of telomeres and even increases their numbers, restoring a more youthful T lymphocyte profile.

Cycloastragenol has a similar chemical structure to that of the Astragaloside IV molecule, but it is smaller and significantly more bioavailable, enabling lower doses to be taken. It is already used as an immunostimulant because of its ability to increase T lymphocyte proliferation. However, it is its exceptional anti-aging properties that are of increasing interest to the scientific community. Cycloastragenol stimulates the repair of DNA damage by activating telomerase, a nucleoprotein enzyme which catalyses synthesis and growth of telomeric DNA. Telomeres are made of thin filaments and are found at the tips of chromosomes. Maintaining their stability enables cells to avoid replicative senescence and indefinite proliferation beyond the ‘Hayflick limit'. Telomeres shorten with each cycle of cell division, or when subjected to oxidative stress. Until now, this has been an unavoidable mechanism of aging.