Parrish is a guinea pig in an anti-ageing gene therapy trial
Elizabeth Parrish is taking a drastic step in wellness by using herself as a guinea pig in an anti-ageing gene therapy trial. Not for aesthetic purposes, but to prevent biological ageing.
The 47-year-old from Seattle, USA, has injected herself with a solution that's believed to repair telomeres – the caps at ends of chromosomes which prevent cells from ageing or malfunctioning. She explains: "Telomeres shorten as we age. Shortened telomeres lead to senescent cells and destabilise our DNA which leads to inflammation and cancer."
What makes her move particularly controversial is that such an experiment had only been tested on mice until she started her trial in 2015. So what results has she seen so far? She says: "We've discovered that the telomeres in my white blood cells have lengthened by over 600 base pairs, which would be the equivalent to a reversal of around 20 years of telomere ageing." Parrish also reports a reduction in inflammation markers and improved metabolic markers.
"I feel fantastic, but how much of this is a placebo effect we don't know for sure at this point… importantly we've seen no negative effects so far."
Her son's diagnosis as a diabetic in 2013 drove Parrish to make such an unprecedented move. "Ageing is the master disease at the foundation of other conditions associated with ageing like Parkinsons etc and this is because ageing = cellular degradation due to time. Time is the enemy that has to be dealt with at a molecular level and therefore at a cellular level."
On the back of her experiment, she set up BioViva to research more therapies to delay, prevent and reverse the processes behind biological ageing. Its exclusive partner Integrated Health Systems has a network of clinics in South America, plus doctors in the USA, UK and India, to administer the therapies, which reportedly cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Patients so far include those with dementia, sarcopenia, cancer, heart disease and kidney disease.
Parrish also sees potential in the spa sector. "The spa and wellness industry has done an excellent job in changing environmental factors that affect wellbeing and also offers excellent treatments for extrinsic skin repair. But it needs to learn about the latest Nobel Prize-winning medical technologies. Gene therapy is natural and precise. It uses the bodies own genes to manufacture beneficial proteins and compounds that heal and rejuvenate from inside out."
While some might – and do – question Parrish's approach, she's confident that using herself as the first test subject was the right thing to do. She concludes: "I believed the company should take its own medicine first before moving onto patients. Many scientists in the past have made great discoveries through self-experimentation."
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Parrish is a guinea pig in an anti-ageing gene therapy trial
Elizabeth Parrish is taking a drastic step in wellness by using herself as a guinea pig in an anti-ageing gene therapy trial. Not for aesthetic purposes, but to prevent biological ageing.
The 47-year-old from Seattle, USA, has injected herself with a solution that's believed to repair telomeres – the caps at ends of chromosomes which prevent cells from ageing or malfunctioning. She explains: "Telomeres shorten as we age. Shortened telomeres lead to senescent cells and destabilise our DNA which leads to inflammation and cancer."
What makes her move particularly controversial is that such an experiment had only been tested on mice until she started her trial in 2015. So what results has she seen so far? She says: "We've discovered that the telomeres in my white blood cells have lengthened by over 600 base pairs, which would be the equivalent to a reversal of around 20 years of telomere ageing." Parrish also reports a reduction in inflammation markers and improved metabolic markers.
"I feel fantastic, but how much of this is a placebo effect we don't know for sure at this point… importantly we've seen no negative effects so far."
Her son's diagnosis as a diabetic in 2013 drove Parrish to make such an unprecedented move. "Ageing is the master disease at the foundation of other conditions associated with ageing like Parkinsons etc and this is because ageing = cellular degradation due to time. Time is the enemy that has to be dealt with at a molecular level and therefore at a cellular level."
On the back of her experiment, she set up BioViva to research more therapies to delay, prevent and reverse the processes behind biological ageing. Its exclusive partner Integrated Health Systems has a network of clinics in South America, plus doctors in the USA, UK and India, to administer the therapies, which reportedly cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Patients so far include those with dementia, sarcopenia, cancer, heart disease and kidney disease.
Parrish also sees potential in the spa sector. "The spa and wellness industry has done an excellent job in changing environmental factors that affect wellbeing and also offers excellent treatments for extrinsic skin repair. But it needs to learn about the latest Nobel Prize-winning medical technologies. Gene therapy is natural and precise. It uses the bodies own genes to manufacture beneficial proteins and compounds that heal and rejuvenate from inside out."
While some might – and do – question Parrish's approach, she's confident that using herself as the first test subject was the right thing to do. She concludes: "I believed the company should take its own medicine first before moving onto patients. Many scientists in the past have made great discoveries through self-experimentation."
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Thomas Klein
Senior living, family resorts and urban retreats are all on the cards for Canyon Ranch says COO and president Thomas Klein. Katie Barnes finds out more
Trends: Spa Foresight™ 2018/19
Spa Business’ predictions for the future include vegan spas, blue light antidotes, home wellness and plastic-free facilities
Interview: Dietmar Mueller-Elmau
The owner of Germany’s Schloss Elmau tells Spa Business why music, culture and spa feed the mind and soul
Promotional feature: Living Earth Crafts
Living Earth Crafts has distinguished itself with furniture for the spa industry that combines high design with seamless functionality. Brian Paris gives us insight into the company’s stylish new introductions
Event report: GWS 2018 - Bella vita
An Italian inspired Global Wellness Summit featured fashion, food, fitness and spa… and cameos from Hugh Jackman and Oprah Winfrey. Spa Business gives its highlights
Research: Growing up
Spa is the fastest growing sector of the US$4.2tn global wellness economy according to the latest GWI research
Event report: WTA Conference
What do wellness travellers want? And what issues need to be addressed as the wellness tourism sector grows? Anne Dimon reports from the inaugural meeting of the Wellness Tourism Association
Fitness: Inhale the future
Ashley Neese tells Spa Business about the possibilities of breathwork and opening up the practice to more people
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
