Why This Matters to Us
As longevity and health enthusiasts, this study is highly compelling because it highlights the potential of nutraceuticals, like NMN, to improve immunity against cancer—a key age-related disease. Aging reduces immune function, leaving us more vulnerable to illnesses and cancers as we grow older. This study demonstrates how combining compounds that promote cellular health might delay or reduce these age-related declines in immune defence, promoting healthier and potentially longer lives.
The Detail
What Did the Study Investigate?
Researchers, led by Vollmer and colleagues, explored whether a blend of natural compounds, grouped under the name AgePro, could improve anti-cancer immunity. The mix included nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)—a molecule known for its anti-aging properties—and other natural ingredients like filtered milk (colostrum), egg yolk extract, quercetin (a plant antioxidant), ɑ-ketoglutarate (a molecule involved in energy production), white button mushrooms, and celery seed extract.
They aimed to answer two key questions:
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Could these compounds improve the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells?
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Would the compounds activate immune cells in the absence of cancer cells, possibly causing autoimmunity?
Key Takeaways From the Experiment
To explore these questions, the study recruited 17 volunteers aged 23 to 89. Each participant took AgePro twice daily for 30 days. Blood samples were drawn before and after the treatment period.
The researchers tested the immune cells from these blood samples against human leukemia cells in a controlled lab setting.
Here’s what they discovered:
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Enhanced Cancer Cell Death: Immune cells from volunteers killed around 50% of cancer cells after taking AgePro, compared to just 30% before the supplementation. This marks a 30% increase in cancer cell-killing ability.
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Selective Activation: Immune cells only showed heightened activity in the presence of cancer cells, not healthy cells. This reduces the risk of unintended autoimmunity, where the immune system attacks the body.
The study specifically highlighted the role of natural killer (NK) cells, a type of immune cell that targets and destroys cancer cells. NK cells became more active only when they detected cancer, suggesting that AgePro's effects are targeted rather than indiscriminate.
Immune Function Across All Ages
Another noteworthy finding: the immune-boosting effects of AgePro were consistent across both younger (23 years old) and older participants (89 years old). This consistency is important because aging weakens immunity (a process known as immunosenescence), making older adults more vulnerable to infections and cancer. These results suggest that nutraceuticals like AgePro might help protect the immune system against age-related decline.
How Safe is AgePro?
A common concern with any immune-boosting treatment is the risk of overactivation, leading to autoimmune diseases. The study specifically tested whether AgePro would inadvertently activate immune cells in the absence of cancer. Thankfully, there was no overactivation observed, suggesting that AgePro is likely a safe supplement for supporting immune health.
Questions That Remain
While the results of the study are exciting, some key questions remain:
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Which Ingredients Work Best? AgePro contains multiple compounds—NMN, ɑ-ketoglutarate, and others. It’s unclear whether one ingredient, like NMN, is mainly responsible for the immunity boost or if they work together.
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Real-World Impact: The experiments were conducted in lab dishes, where the ratio of immune cells to cancer cells may be higher than in the human body. Therefore, it’s unclear if these findings would translate to patients with cancer.
Further studies involving cancer patients could help determine AgePro's real-world effectiveness and clarify its potential role in cancer prevention or treatment.
Why We’re Excited About This
This research provides hope for a safer, natural method to improve immune defences, potentially helping people combat cancer and age-related immune decline. While more trials are needed, especially in humans with cancer, the findings support further exploration of nutraceuticals in bolstering long-term health.
For those committed to enhancing their longevity, this study highlights the exciting intersection of natural compounds and cutting-edge science.