The Essential Cyclicity of Life

Written by PIERPAOLI, M.D., Walter

Ed.- Dr. Pierpaoli is one of the few really serious academic scientists who is interested and determined to pursue anti-aging medicine and prevent aging itself. Indeed, his work speaks for itself, as he is the man who introduced the concept of melatonin to the world through the initial research and his best selling book – The Key of Life

Dr. Pierpaoli lectured at the Second Monte Carlo Antiaging Conference ™ about “Biological Aging Reversal- The Clinical Evidence” and an audio cassette is available for purchase from IAS (please see the order-form or website).

In essence, Dr. Pierpaoli suggests that “aging is a precise, genetically-determined and species dependent neuroendocrine program in the pineal network, namely in the neural structures of the brain and peripheral nervous system, regulating the circadian, synchronized, rhythmic and oscillatory synthesis and secretion of all hormones, neuropeptides and any other endogenous molecule.”

His expertise and experiments convince him that melatonin is a major anti-aging medicine and in-fact he has added nutrients to make melatonin more effective. This type of melatonin is called TI-MElatonin ® and Dr. Pierpaoli discussed its benefits and why it is more effective than “the standardized forms of melatonin available,” in the Winter 2001 issue of the IAS Anti-Aging Bulletin.

In the meantime, Dr. Pierpaoli talks about some aspects of the anti-aging fraternity and the need for good science and scientists.

Success stories (not in the domain of art and fiction), demand the support of the so-called “hard facts” and from a scientist an accepted and reproducible “proof”. All kind of theories lack “general proof” and are based on trivial or sophisticated constructions. Without “proof” they remain theories and many of them are quickly forgotten. This is the case of many of the theories about aging.

Why do we age? It is obviously a fundamental question for all human beings, principally not because we may want live forever, but because we would like to live as long as possible and especially disease-free. The presence of chronic and debilitating diseases makes a long life unpalatable.

It is amazing to me to observe that some of the distinguished gerontologists, (whose names I refrain from mentioning here because some of them are still alive), who make proclamations about how to stop aging and live longer, are in-fact a living (or indeed dead) example of the exact opposite! They could not demonstrate the soundness of their theories on themselves! Most of them have tried, in vain.

On the contary, some of them try and show clear signs of early senescence. In the field of gerontology, one cannnot work with flies, nematodes or mice, prolonging their life or suggesting any kind of life-enhancing effects, unless he shows first that this is true on himself! It is arrogant and false to declare to have found a way to prolong life or to retard aging, unless the theory is tested by the same “discoverer.” Thus, I deplore this lack of respect for logic and science. We must not forget the lesson from the discovery of the small-pox vaccination in England. After all, who tried it first?

A mouse lives about two to three years. From a mouse experiment there is time enough for a man, when a method and/or substance prolongs longevity of, let us say, 30 percent, to extrapolate to man and to demonstrate it on himself. It may be difficult, it may take time, but one could also expect, if he is right, to enjoy the privilege to observe on himself the confirmation of his own theory!This is truly the “ultimate defiance” for a honest and serious scientist.After all, the narcisistic temptation to assay on yourself such a fascinating theory is truly irresistible!

The discovery of the basic nature of a central “aging and life clock” in the pineal gland has disclosed the essence of the principle, that maintenance of hormonal cyclicity will prevent aging, at least to a very large extent. For how long? We still do not know. In this sense the recent demonstration of the effect of exogenous administration of melatonin in perimenopausal women speaks by itself. What clearer cyclicity than the menstrual cycle? And how far are we able to delay aging of the reproductive tract in women? We will see.

Obviously, night melatonin is only a signal and the true discovery lies in the observation that the pineal gland itself contains the elements for deciphering the nature of aging, and that melatonin when taken in the evening, magically and mysteriously protects our “hormonal cyclicity director” from its own aging. This is going to be a “success story” only if, as I said above, many persons, (me included), will be able to survive long enough, will escape a car accident, a plane crash etc., and thus show a true disease-free aging.

Summarizing, life and health are based on the maintenance of a juvenile hormonal cyclicity, from which immunity also totally depends. This is not an invention or a discovery, but simply and definitely a law for all biological life on our planet. Circadian cyclicity and many other kind of temporary and oscillatory variations are imprinted in the brain, in all cells, and genetically inherited.

We have found the biological key of life and aging and can now explore the mechanism and thus re-program the clock, by preventing or reconstituting the juvenile hormonal orchestra.

Sometimes I ask myself: How will my life be, if I survive for a very long time? For I believe that I will and I believe that I shall live the life of “somebody else,” having rejected an aging “me” whom has died.

Recent Publications Related to Aging

  1. Pierpaoli, W, Bulian, D. & Arrighi, S. Transferrin treatment corrects aging-related immunologic and hormonal decay in old mice. Experimental Gerontology, 35, 401-408, 2000.
  2. Bulian, D. & Pierpaoli, W. The pineal gland and cancer. I. Pinealectomy corrects congenital hormonal dysfunctions and prolongs life of cancer-prone C3H/He mice. J. Neuroimmunol. 108, 131-135, 2000.
  3. Bellipanni, G., Bianchi, P, Pierpaoli, W., Bulian, D. & Ilyia, E. Effects of melatonin in perimenopausal women: a randomized and placebo controlled study. Experimental Gerontology 36,297-310, 2001.
  4. Pierpaoli, W. & Bulian, D. The pineal aging and death program. Grafting of old pineals into young mice accelerates their aging. J. Anti-Aging Med. 4,31-37, 2001.