SOCOM (The US Special Operations Command), the organization that administers US Special Forces, has announced that it will soon be launching clinical trials of anti-aging compounds for use in an anti-aging pill suggested to stop some of the degenerative effects. . of aging.
SOCOM is investing money in clinical trials of anti-aging / regenerating compounds, the one in question is believed to be a nutraceutical for all cellular signs of aging, but it is not yet clear in what specific ways this is likely to assist US military personnel.
“We have completed preclinical safety and dosage studies in preparation for follow-up performance testing in FY2022,” said Navy Commander Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for SOCOM.
“These efforts are not aimed at creating physical traits that don’t already exist naturally. It is about improving the mission readiness of our forces by improving performance characteristics that generally decline with age. Essentially, we are working with industry partners and leading clinical research institutes to develop a nutraceutical, in pill form that is suitable for a variety of uses by civilians and the military, the resulting benefits of which may include improved human performance, such as increased endurance and faster recovery from injury: ”said Hawkins.
According to Hawkins, the pill involves a “small human performance molecule” that will be made into some form of nutraceutical for military personnel and civilians. A small molecule is a low molecular weight molecule, and nutraceutical generally refers to a dietary supplement. SOCOM is a partner of the MetroBiotech biotechnology laboratory for this project.
“[S]Commercial drug molecules have distinct therapeutic advantages: most can be administered orally and they can cross cell membranes to reach intracellular targets. They can also be designed to engage biological targets by various modes of action and their distribution can further be tailored, for example to allow systemic exposure with or without brain penetration, ”as explained on the MetroBiotech website.
The United States FDA does not currently regulate nutraceuticals, which means they are exempt from the regulations and standard procedures that pharmaceuticals must follow to gain FDA approval. It is not known why this project does not go through the process to become an approved and regulated drug, especially since clinical trials are already planned.
Small molecule is basically a descriptive term that covers a wide range of factors that cover most pharmaceutical drugs, according to Breaking Defense, the molecule in question for this project is called NAD + (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). MetroBiotech suggests that NAD + may be a treatment for mitochondrial diseases. Think of mitochondria as the powerhouse of cells because they produce energy for cells in the form of a chemical called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is necessary for the cell to function properly. NAD + supports the production of ATP inside the mitochondria, making it a direct mechanism in play.
“[R]reduced levels of NAD + are linked to aging and many diseases, including mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and various related diseases. These levels decrease as humans age and remain exhausted during disease states, ”says MetroBiochem, which is an offshoot of David Sinclair’s work in his lab at Harvard University.
Sinclair suggests that the healing nature of NAD + is not a flaw but rather a design, and maintaining optimal levels of NAD + can allow humans to lead longer, healthier lives. “This radical new thinking about medicine argues that if we can tackle the upstream cause of these diseases, we can cure them all at once (instead of relying on the current Whack-a-Mole approach)” , Boston magazine reported in 2019.
Mitochondrial disease can be devastating, MetroBiochem strives to treat these diseases as well as rare and specific diseases rather than treating healthy people with a substance that could slow the effects of aging. Aging per se is not a diagnostic disease that can be treated with prescriptions. This may be part of the reason why SOCOM chooses to call it a nutraceutical project rather than a prescription drug project.
SOCOM has “stayed out of genetic engineering for the long haul – it makes people very, very uncomfortable,” said Lisa Sanders, director of science and technology for special operations forces, acquisition, technology and logistics (SOF AT&L), “But there’s a huge market for things that can prevent injury, that can slow aging, that can improve sleep.
According to Sanders, this pill “has the potential, if successful, to really delay aging, to really prevent the onset of injury – which is an incredible game changer.”
An anti-aging supplement can help anyone, including military personnel, in several ways, including supporting key organ functions, decreasing inflammation, increasing cardioprotection, slowing neurodegeneration, increasing energy And much more. NAD + is suggested to help reduce the functional effects of aging on the body, this is important for factors such as speed, focus, and reaction times.
According to Hawkins, the U.S. military has spent $ 2.8 million since 2018 on biotechnology efforts investigating one type of anti-aging / regenerative pill. These planned clinical trials of anti-aging compounds will help confirm what can and cannot be treated with NAD +, it’s understandable that many people are waiting for the results of these trials.
