Summary: In healthy older adults, a controlled course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy was associated with cellular signs of biological rejuvenation.
Source: AFTAU
A Tel Aviv University (TAU) study in collaboration with the Shamir Medical Center reports that a specific regimen of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) produced measurable cellular changes consistent with reversing aspects of biological aging in otherwise healthy older adults.
Investigators found that repeated, structured exposures to hyperbaric oxygen in a pressurized chamber affected two central hallmarks of cellular aging: telomere shortening and the accumulation of senescent cells. By analyzing immune cells isolated from participants’ blood samples, the research team observed telomere length increases of up to 38% in certain cell types and reductions in senescent cell populations by as much as 37%.
The clinical study was led by Professor Shai Efrati of the Sackler School of Medicine and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at TAU, who also directs the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine at the Shamir Medical Center, together with Dr. Amir Hadanny, Chief Medical Research Officer at the Sagol Center. The trial forms part of a wider Israeli research program that treats aging as a potentially reversible biological condition.
Published in Aging on November 18, 2020, the paper examines whether HBOT can slow, stop, or reverse hallmarks of cellular aging in healthy, independently living older adults.
“For many years our group has advanced hyperbaric research and clinical protocols that expose patients to defined cycles of elevated oxygen under pressure,” Professor Efrati explains. “These protocols have previously shown benefit for brain function after injury, stroke, and age-related decline. In this study we tested whether the same type of HBOT could influence markers of aging in normal, healthy older adults at the cellular level.”
Thirty-five volunteers, each aged 64 or older and living independently, completed a course of 60 HBOT sessions across 90 days. Blood samples were collected before treatment began, at the midpoint (the 30th session), at the end of the 60th session, and again one to two weeks after the final session. Researchers isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from these samples to measure telomere length and the proportion of senescent immune cells.
Results showed consistent, significant changes in multiple lymphocyte populations. Telomere length increased by more than 20% across T helper cells, cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells and B cells, with B cells showing the largest gains: approximately 26% at the 30th session, about 29% at the 60th session, and roughly 38% after the course concluded. At the same time, the share of senescent immune cells declined substantially—T helper senescent cells fell by about 37% following HBOT, and senescent cytotoxic T cells decreased by nearly 11%.
Overall, the investigators report telomere length increases ranging from roughly 20% to 38% depending on cell type, and decreases in senescent cell percentages between about 11% and 37% across the immune cell populations measured.
“Telomere shortening is widely regarded as a central marker of cellular aging,” Professor Efrati notes. “Many laboratories pursue pharmacological and lifestyle interventions to slow or reverse telomere loss. Our HBOT protocol achieved measurable telomere elongation, demonstrating the potential to reverse aging markers at the cellular and molecular level.”
Dr. Hadanny adds, “Lifestyle changes and exercise have previously shown modest effects on telomere dynamics, but in this study a three-month HBOT regimen produced telomere lengthening at magnitudes greater than those reported for other interventions. These findings encourage further research into HBOT’s cellular effects and its potential role in addressing age-related biological decline.”
About this research
Source: AFTAU
Contact: George Hunka – AFTAU
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access. “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial” by Yafit Hachmo et al., Aging
Abstract
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells : a prospective trial
Introduction: Aging is accompanied by a progressive decline in physiological function. At a cellular level, two hallmark features of aging are telomere shortening and the buildup of senescent cells. Controlled, intermittent hyperoxic exposures delivered by specific hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocols can trigger regenerative processes that are normally activated under hypoxic conditions. This study aimed to evaluate whether HBOT influences telomere length and the prevalence of senescent cells in a normal, non-pathological aging population.
Methods: Thirty-five healthy, independently living adults aged 64 and older underwent 60 daily HBOT sessions. Whole blood samples were taken at baseline, after the 30th and 60th sessions, and one to two weeks after the final session. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell telomere length and markers of cellular senescence were measured and analyzed.
Results: Telomere length increased significantly in T helper, cytotoxic T, natural killer and B cells by over 20% following HBOT. B cells showed the most pronounced increases: 25.68%±40.42 (p=0.007) at session 30, 29.39%±23.39 (p=0.0001) at session 60, and 37.63%±52.73 (p=0.007) post-treatment. Senescent T helper cells decreased by -37.30%±33.04 post-HBOT (p<0.0001) and senescent cytotoxic T cell percentages dropped by -10.96%±12.59 (p=0.0004) after treatment.
The study concludes that HBOT may exert significant senolytic-like effects in aging humans, including substantial telomere elongation and clearance of senescent immune cells. These cellular changes support further investigation into HBOT as a potential intervention to modify aging-related biological processes.