Collagen Peptides and Cellular Aging
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age50-70
SponsorUniversity of Vienna
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if daily collagen peptide supplementation can stabilize or lengthen telomeres and improve related markers of cellular aging in adults aged 50-70 years with overweight and low-to-moderate physical activity (healthy volunteers without major chronic disease).
Main questions it aims to answer are:
Does six months of collagen peptides stabilize or extend telomere length and increase telomerase activity compared with placebo? Are any telomere-related changes associated with lower inflammation, healthier body composition, and better functional health?
Researchers will compare collagen as an intervention to a placebo group to see if collagen will influence aging markers.
Participants will take collagen peptides or a placebo daily for 24 weeks. They will attend three study visits: one before starting the intervention (T0), one at 3 months (T1), and one at 6 months (T2). At each visit, blood samples will be collected to measure telomere length, telomerase activity, and inflammation/redox markers. Participants will also undergo body composition assessments using bioelectrical impedance, complete functional tests of muscle strength and mobility, and fill out questionnaires on health and vitality.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Adults aged 50-70 years; both male and female participants are eligible
Body mass index (BMI) 25-30 kg/m²
Low to moderate physical activity: not meeting current WHO recommendations (<150 minutes/week) or ≤2 sessions/week structured training
Able to live independently and mobile in daily life
Disqualifiers
Diagnosed chronic diseases relevant to the immune system, metabolism, or cellular aging (e.g., diabetes mellitus, cancer, cardiovascular, rheumatologic diseases)
Use of immunomodulatory, systemic anti-inflammatory, or hormonal medications (e.g., corticosteroids, immunosuppressants)
Acute infections or surgeries within the last 3 months
Regular use of supplements known to affect oxidative stress or cellular aging (e.g., high-dose antioxidants, CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, high-dose vitamin D)
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Collagen peptides
Dietary supplementCollagen peptides (oral daily supplementation), taken once daily for 24 weeks in a randomized 1:1, double-blind design; primary outcomes: telomere length (qPCR T/S) and telomerase activity (TRAP), with inflammatory/redox markers as secondary endpoints. Target population: adults 50-70 years with BMI 25-30 and low-to-moderate activity; vegetarians/vegans excluded due to animal-derived collagen. Matched maltodextrin placebo, identical dosing and visit schedule (T0, T1, T2), serving as the comparator to isolate collagen peptide effects in the parallel-group, double-blind trial. Products are approved as foods; prior clinical studies reported no substance-related adverse effects.
Maltodextrin (Placebo)
Dietary supplementPlacebo instead of the collagen peptides
Treatment groups
125 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Collagen PeptidesExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: MaltodextrinPlacebo comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Telomere length
Changes in leukocyte telomere length (qPCR) from peripheral blood
Time frame
Baseline and after supplementation (24 weeks)2
Telomerase Activity
Changes telomerase activity measured via TRAP Assay from peripheral blood
Time frame
Baseline and at the end of supplemention (24 weeks)3
Change from baseline in DNA-oxidation markers
Change in DNA Damage measured through comet assay
Time frame
Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)4
Change from baseline in micronuclei
Change in Micronulei measured through CBMN-Assay
Time frame
Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)Secondary outcomes
1
Change from baseline in Inflammatory markers
Changes in plasma concentrations of interleukins like IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha
Time frame
Baseline and at the end of supplemention (24 weeks)2
Change from baseline in the redox/antioxidant status
Change in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase via enzymatic tests to assess oxidative stress
Time frame
Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)3
Change from baseline in body composition
Change in fat-free mass and fat mass in kg by bioelectrical impedance
Time frame
Basline, after 3 months and at the end of the supplementation (24 weeks)4
Change from baseline metabolic markers
Change in serum lipid profile and fasting glucose in mg/dL
Time frame
Baseline and at the end of supplementation (24 weeks)Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University of Vienna
Lead sponsor
CRI Collagen Research Institute GmbH
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov