RF Longevity Founder Gary Arendash talks immunity, cytokines and increasing human longevity through bioengineering with FDA breakthrough tech.
Fourteen years ago, scientists discovered exposing transgenic mice with Alzheimer’s to RF waves produced some exciting results; not only were the mice protected from further cognitive decline, but older mice even experienced a reversal of cognitive impairment [1]. It will come as no surprise that the researchers set about leveraging this tech for a human approach, developing a treatment called Transcranial Radiofrequency Wave Treatment (TRFT). RF Longevity has realized this therapy in a device called MemorEM, a patented, noninvasive technology that has received Breakthrough Device designation from the US FDA as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s in humans.
Longevity.Technology: The MemorEM device delivers ultrahigh radio frequency electromagnetic waves to the brain via eight transmitters embedded in a cap and a control box worn on the arm. Users wear the device at home for an hour a day, and experience no sound or sensation associated with the device – they can pretty much get on with anything during this time, although perhaps not grab a shower!
We sat down with Dr Gary Arendash, founder of RF Longevity, to find out more about MemorEM’s potential for Alzheimer’s therapy and lifespan extension and why all roads for a life extending intervention must go through preventing or lessening dementia.
Gary Arendash on…
TRTF potential
Most importantly, the radio frequency rays that we’re using are very safe. To my mind, TRFT is a front runner among gerotherapeutics to extend human lifespan, and this is for a number of reasons.
First, TRFT was the first gerotherapeutic to be given breakthrough device designation by FDA against a major disease of aging. Second, TRFT stops and reverses a major disease of aging, namely Alzheimer’s disease, albeit in small clinical trials. Third, TREFT hasn’t shown any deleterious side effects in clinical trials – it’s actually been given non -significant risk designation in the United States.
And very importantly, with regards to longevity, in our Alzheimer’s subjects, and I am an Alzheimer’s researcher, TRFT, given over an extended two and a half year period of time, resulted in no new diseases of aging – and these folks averaged 70 years of age when they began the study. Finally, in our four clinical publications, we’ve identified three major mechanisms of action that we believe will collectively target diseases of aging, a number of them, and the aging process itself.
Mechanism of action
Most neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are caused by brain toxins that self -aggregate. The two primary toxins are β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau. Both of these molecules are made inside neurons, and in their singular form, they’re innocuous. But as you age, they start to self-aggregate. And so, you might get three, four, five, eight, 12 Aβ molecules together self-aggregating into oligomers; and the same happens for tau. Now, it’s these aggregated forms of the neurotoxins that most of us in Alzheimer’s research now believe cause the disease. I want to indicate strongly that it is not the insoluble form of Aβ present in neuritic plaques and not the insoluble form of tau present in neurofibrillary tangles. Now, what does our technology do? TRFT breaks up these toxins, these oligomeric toxins inside neurons and removes them from the brain. I don’t know of any other therapeutic that can do that.
Balancing immunity
Immune system dysfunction is the universal signature common to most diseases of aging. Any serious longevity intervention field must address this dysfunction, which is basically an imbalanced immune system that occurs during aging. I’m excited about TRFT because we have clinical evidence that TRFT can restore immune balance in both the human body and the brain. And when I talk about imbalance and balance of the immune system, I’m referring to the effectors of the immune system – the cytokines. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines are in balance when you’re in young adulthood and middle age; however, as you enter older age in your 60s and 70s, the balance tips towards the pro-inflammatory component and that causes a chronic state of inflammation, which is the primary cause of major diseases of aging.
The important thing to remember here is that centenarians, those who live above 100, never lose their balanced immune system. Going through their 60s, 70s, and 80s, both components are robust and they maintain a low level of inflammation. They have an immune age 40 years younger than their chronological age. That’s very important, and to my knowledge, TRFT is the only longevity intervention that can rejuvenate the human immune system. It does so by rebalancing cytokines. If the levels are too low in the blood or the brain, these radio frequency rays bring it up. If they’re too high, they’re brought down.
TRFT makes red blood cell membranes more fluid, allowing cytokines to go in or out more easily. That is exactly the characteristic that centenarians have in their red blood cells – more fluidity. The result is a rebalancing of cytokines in blood and a dramatic reduction in inflammation. We see 50% reduction in inflammation in the body with this technology.
Next steps
All roads for a life extending intervention go through preventing or lessening dementia. Most prominent is Alzheimer’s disease, but there are other forms, vascular dementia and such. If you’re fortunate enough to live to be 85, one third of people who live to 85 have dementia. So you’re going to have to deal with that for any sort of longevity therapeutic. And we believe TRFT has the mechanism that can accomplish that. TRFT is also a mitochondrial enhancer to enhance energy production in neurons as we age, it balances immunity and reverses cognitive impairment.
The other thing that we see is that all major Alzheimer’s markers in both blood and brain are beneficially affected by TRFT in patients in our studies. No other Alzheimer’s therapeutic that I’m aware of has shown this comprehensive disease modifying effect. But, of course, a word of caution – these are small studies. they’re not controlled, so we definitely need larger controlled studies in Alzheimer’s patients before FDA is going to approve this technology.
Regarding longevity, taking multiple drugs to address multiple diseases of aging for many years seems impractical. Rather, the enigma of extending human longevity is best addressed by a single advanced technology that can safely target many diseases of aging and the aging process itself – I believe TRFT is that advanced technology.
