Researchers in New Zealand have discovered a drug that has the potential for longer and healthier aging.
An Aotearoa New Zealand study, recently published in the renowned journal Nature Aging, has advanced the timeless pursuit of immortality.
The University of Auckland’s Waipapa Taumata Rau trial shows that administering a cancer treatment drug to healthy middle-aged mice (one year) for a prolonged period increases their lifespan by an average of ten percent, bringing it to around three years.
In this study, mice were fed a control diet or the same diet with the addition of a drug called alpelisib. Not only did the mice fed the drug-containing diet live longer, but they also showed some signs of being healthier in old age such as improved coordination and strength. However, the researchers are cautious about application to humans since the mice treated with the drug also had some negative markers of aging like lower bone mass.
Mechanisms Behind Aging
“Aging is not only about lifespan but also about quality of life,” says research fellow Dr. Chris Hedges. “Therefore, we were pleased to see this drug treatment not only increased the longevity of the mice but they also showed many signs of healthier aging. We are working now to understand how this happens.”
Principle investigator Associate Professor Troy Merry says: “We are not suggesting that anyone should go out and take this drug long-term to extend lifespan, as there are some side effects. However, this work identifies mechanisms crucial to aging that will be of use in our long-term efforts to increase lifespan and health span. It also suggests a number of possible ways in which shorter-term treatments with this drug could be used to treat certain metabolic health conditions and we are following this up now.”
Professor Peter Shepherd says that alpelisib targets an enzyme called PI 3-kinase.
“We have been working on developing drugs to target PI 3-kinase for more than 20 years as evidence indicated they would be useful to treat cancers as many cancers have an excess activation of this pathway.
“Therefore, it’s great to see that these drugs might have uses in other areas and reveal novel mechanisms contributing to age-related diseases. It also shows the value of a long-term investment in research in areas such as this.”
Reference: “Dietary supplementation of clinically utilized PI3K p110α inhibitor extends the lifespan of male and female mice” by C. P. Hedges, B. Shetty, S. C. Broome, C. MacRae, P. Koutsifeli, E. J. Buckels, C. MacIndoe, J. Boix, T. Tsiloulis, B. G. Matthews, S. Sinha, M. Arendse, J. K. Jaiswal, K. M. Mellor, A. J. R. Hickey, P. R. Shepherd and T. L. Merry, 23 January 2023, Nature Aging.
DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00349-y
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9 Comments
No thanks!!! Just eat healthy and exercise.
This is the real key!
This is just gonna lead to overpopulation and is generally pointless. Nature has created living creatures in balance and this will ruin it!
Maine don’t kno body wanna see there love ones get old n die, ur out ur
mind talking bout over population, we need these older people too live longer so they can spread knowledge n wisdom too the youth, don’t nobody wanna see anybody die, so if we can live longer let’s make it happen, u dumb founded fool, get some sense in ya, we need too live longer.
Who wants to live longer???🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yes I would like to live longer I’m 80yr this year and still enjoying life I dont exercise or do any thing special don’t smoke like to drink wine in moderation lovvvve intimacy with my husband whose also 80 I am going to start up my old vege garden again it’s old like me so might need some good fertiliser perhaps the old feller will be home from the pub soon to give me a helping hand he’s never smoked only drinks coffee and water I’m the naughty one
Nope…. I’m good
All of y’all comments are lifeless who wants too live longer, if y’all wanna die sooner go ahead n get out our way, we tryin live long time like back In the biblical days, so kick rocks u lifeless fools. We wanna live longer for our kids n for my parents too live longer!
A declining population is our biggest threat. You dont believe that AI, Quantum computing, Nano technology…..and the cross pollination of these techs to produce new ones…ad infinitum, wont alleviate some of the technological challenges before us??? Aging without disease, able to follow innumerable passions that cant fit into a single life; sign me up!! If you cant see the possibilities, the endless upsides to these advancements then your just stupid and perhaps we’re all better off if your just out of the gene pool.