Exercise in a Pill / Device

XPRIZE

Outcome

A treatment or biomedical device that can replicate the beneficial effects of exercise, without the user having to exert her body.

Why the Need?

Physical exercise is well accepted as a lifestyle choice that extends both lifespan and healthspan. However, it requires willpower, free time, experience or guidance, and good health from the get-go. It is therefore difficult to massively scale this solution. There is a need to replicate the beneficial effects of exercise in a way that circumvents these restrictions.

Stipulations for a Successful Breakthrough Solution

• The solution will be safe for use
• The solution will provide the benefits of physical exercise without the need for free time, willpower, expert guidance or good health

Promising Technologies for Solutions

There are many ideas for the technologies that could form the basis for this breakthrough. Electric or physiological muscle stimulation, for example, might have a similar effect as that of physical exercise. Exoskeletons may be utilized for such purposes. Alternatively, affecting the metabolic pathways involved in the beneficial effects of physical exercise may also provide a viable solution.

Expected year for proof of concept: 2033
Expected year for mass-scaling: 2045

HRS

Hello; our device is expected to have completed the proof of concept phase by: 2021.
It will be ready for mass-scaling: 2025, latest!

NickOttens

For others who are interested in learning more, check out this thread by @HRS under Innovations in Life Extension.

SamBlake

@HRS Very intriguing! What does your runway look like to arrive at the proof-of-concept?

HRS

@SamBlake , the exercise in device (EID) comes from the remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) procedure that involves applying repeated cycles of ischaemia (cessation of blood flow) and reperfusion (release of blood flow) to a limb. The RIC procedure has repeatedly been used on patientss prior to heart surgery.

From a bio-mechanical view exercise is a series of ischaemic and reperfusion episodes, where the ischaemic episode corresponds to the state when muscles burn more oxygen and nutrients than they receive during exercise, and thus they experience ischaemia (i.e. inadequate oxygenated blood), whereas the reperfusion episode corresponds to the state when more blood with oxygen and nutrients is delivered to replenish the muscles during slowdown (re-energisation period).

A simple version of EID was used on 30 clinically stable individuals and we saw that EID not only improved coronary microcirculatory function but also acutely improved blood flow to the heart. In a small pilot study involving 16 individuals, we found that the use of a simpler version of EID resulted in a significant rise in blood lactate level (primary biomarker for exercise) with no evidence of muscle injury. Therefore, we believe that EID can mimic exercise. Of note, blood lactate level is the most typically measured parameter during physical exercise (PA) and performance testing of athletes. Therefore, we expect that older adults who may not be able to undertake rigorous or intense PA, get benefit from using EID. If these are all correct, the device can be used for other condtions and all thoseindividuals who cannot undertake PA for whatever reason, from depression (due to lack of motivation andenergy) to tore tendons, to age and disabilities, even individuals who are wheelchair bound and specifically if they are paraplegic. We have made an improved version of EID which takes into account other factors before it sets up the schaemia and reperfusion cycles. As a matter of fact, it is a personal device for PA and will adjust to each person condition before going ahead. No need to say that our lab and others have repeatedly established the importance of PA for different conditions including prevention or delaying Alzheimer's disease (AD), even in those with mutations causing AD. So, if successful, EID has great translational value and will be a major contribution towards improving the quality of life of all those in the community who may not be able to undertake intense PA. Of course, like any other device it has its own benefits and shortcomings that can not be discussed in detail now. We are hoping that a Phase 1 clinical trial will be able to answer many of our questions so that we can improve the design of the device if needed.