Preliminary results (low N) show decreased epigenetic age, and increased muscle to fat ratio.
My main concern is the plasmids get into the nucleus and it’s unclear if they will contribute to nuclear crowding (or if over the long run some of the DNA won’t decay and could get integrated into the nucleus via LINE1 retrotransposons).
Must have missed it. Where’s the part about Honduras?
related to prospera
One person’s details on the experience - does anyone else have any knowledge / experience with this therapeutic approach?
details about the follistatin therapy I did with Minicircle in October.
Last I heard, they were still looking for participants for the next cohort in January, so here’s some info for anyone who wants to participate.
- The webpage for this therapy is Our Therapies - Minicircle
- It’s basically injecting little circles of DNA into your fat cells, which then produce follistatin that enters your bloodstream.
- It’s free, except for the cost of flying to Roatan (off the coast of Honduras), and the hotel.
- The procedure is done at the GARM Clinic https://garmclinic.com
- It’s a very quick (10-20 second) and relatively painless injection.
- It apparently increases circulating follistatin levels to around 22 ng/mL – around the level of a teenager, but far less than a pregnant woman or a newborn, which is around 55-60.
- And while follistatin does inhibit GDF11 due to the similarity between GDF11 and myostatin (aka GDF8), my best guess is that this level is probably not high enough to significantly reduce GDF11 levels. And you can always order GDF11 from CanLab, or join Steve Perry’s study, if you’re worried about that.
- It’s temporary (lasts 18 months), and it even has a built-in kill switch so you can instantly reverse it with tetracycline or doxycycline.
- They reported around 3.5 pounds of muscle mass gain and 3.5 pounds of fat loss for the average participant so far.
- It also requires monthly DEXA scans and blood tests for a few months before and after participation.
- If interested in being part of January’s cohort, email coordinator@minicircle.clinic and tell them I sent you.
If you end up participating, be aware that although the resort they suggest (Las Verandas https://www.lasverandasroatan.com) is quite beautiful, it has no amenities besides a small beach and a few pools (no fitness room and no place to buy goods, and the nearest supermarket really requires a taxi to reach), and I personally found most of the rest of the island a bit on the sketchy side.
So unless you enjoy just chilling by the pool (and have a significant other to hang out with), I recommend making your trip as short as you can – I ended up wishing I’d just flown in the day before and left the day after.
What if you already have teenage-level follistatin levels?
Also it’s fun when you go with a group of other people (such as during the trials) - the ppl who tend to do this are highly experimental and funner than your usual kind
In human adipocytes, follistatin dose-dependently increases free fatty acid release. In genome-wide association study (GWAS), variation in the glucokinase regulatory protein gene (GCKR ) associates with plasma follistatin levels (n = 4239, Sweden; n = 885, UK, Italy and Sweden) and GCKR regulates follistatin secretion in hepatocytes in vitro. Our findings suggest that GCKR regulates follistatin secretion and that elevated circulating follistatin associates with an increased risk of T2D by inducing adipose tissue insulin resistance.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26536-w
This is the main concern. Reason @ fightaging apparently is going to take it, and he is kind of a big deal…
Exactly - I think you already do, so why would you bother doing this… seems like a duplication you don’t need.
- It also requires monthly DEXA scans and blood tests for a few months before and after participation.
If they were 100% responsible, they would also ask for a follistatin blood test PRIOR to asking people to start the trials.
They do require a follistatin count among other things before the trial begins, as well as other levels.
Honduras? The Mara Salvatrucha may shorten your lifespan.
Country Summary : Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. Local police and emergency services lack sufficient resources to respond effectively to serious crime.
Roatan is an island and isolated from the crime of the main country