These findings demonstrate that OT+A5i has a significant ability to extend health span and highlight the sex-specific differences in aging and in responses to longevity treatments.
A new study featured in the journal Aging has found that combining oxytocin with an Alk5 inhibitor (OT+A5i) can greatly improve both lifespan and healthspan in older, frail male mice. The research, led by first author Cameron Kato and corresponding author Irina M. Conboy, an Aging-US Editorial Board Member from the University of California, Berkeley, showed that this treatment offered significant rejuvenating effects in males but not in females, suggesting that biological differences between the sexes may play a crucial role in how aging therapies work.
The research team explored a two-drug strategy aimed at addressing key biological changes that occur with age. Oxytocin, a hormone that naturally decreases over time and supports tissue regeneration, was paired with an Alk5 inhibitor, a compound that suppresses the TGF-beta pathway. This pathway becomes excessively active as organisms age, fueling chronic inflammation and tissue degradation. In the experiment, frail mice at 25 months old (about 75 years in human terms) received regular doses of the OT+A5i combination.
Dramatic Longevity and Performance Gains
Male mice treated with the therapy lived more than 70% longer than untreated controls and showed noticeable improvements in physical strength, agility, and memory. Based on hazard ratio analysis, treated males were almost three times less likely to die at any point compared with those that did not receive the therapy.
“Treatment of old frail male mice with OT+A5i resulted in a remarkable 73% life extension from that time, and a 14% increase in the overall median lifespan.”
The therapy also reduced “biological noise” in circulating blood proteins—an established marker of aging—bringing those levels back to a more youthful state. Short-term benefits were seen in both sexes; however, after four months of continuous treatment, only the male mice showed sustained improvement in systemic protein balance. Female mice did not experience significant gains in lifespan or healthspan, though middle-aged females did show improved fertility after treatment.
These results underscore the importance of understanding sex-specific biology when developing treatments for aging. While the reasons for these differences remain unclear, the findings provide a new model for studying and designing longevity therapies.
Oxytocin is already FDA-approved, and Alk5 inhibitors are currently in clinical trials, suggesting that this approach could be translated to humans. With strong results in aged and frail male animals, OT+A5i appears to be a promising candidate for improving late-life health and survival.
Reference: “Sex-specific longitudinal reversal of aging in old frail mice” by Cameron Kato, Jessica Zheng, Cindy Quang, Sophia Siopack, Joana Cruz, Zachery R. Robinson, Nicole Fong, Zhixin A. Zhang, Patrick Young, Michael J. Conboy and Irina M. Conboy, 21 August 2025, Aging.
DOI: 10.18632/aging.206304
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17 Comments
This is great news for frail, aging, male mice. Whatever it means for humans is anybody’s guess. I wonder how they will market this to the US mouse population.
Human trials would be next
Google almost any disease and you’ll find a study claiming to have cured mice of it. What an amazing time to be a mouse
I can’t tell you how often I read about a medical breakthrough in the course of my lifetime and nothing became of it for human beings. It is like these scientists are still in school and turn a paper in to get a grade and credit and that is all.
The human being is not being helped.
That’s how science works. It’s a long, hard, arduous path with many turns and many dead ends and blind alleys.
🤣😂🤪
I’m guessing you’re not up to par on DNA and mice vs humans??
What is means for humans is longer better health, the fact you don’t realize this, or the fact that mice have 96% match for human DNA ..
Exactly. It’s comical the lack of self-awareness some people have regarding how ignorant and uninformed they are.
See my article, Of Mice and Men: The Problem with Studying Mice to Learn about Men. https://www.academia.edu/127948044/Of_Mice_and_Men_The_Problems_with_Studying_Mice_to_Learn_about_Men
*Better, longer life for men, (because who really cares about girls and women other than to use them as some status symbol, weapon of war, or virtue signal.)
Mice are extremely genetically similar to humans….which is why for literally any medical trial mice are used. This just shows your lack of knowledge of how research is done and how medical advancements are made.
So in male life expectancy of 70% increase can be achieved via “Libido supplements” (Oxytocin, love hormone) in combination of inflammation decreasing “Resveratrol supplements” (ALK5 blockers).
United States of America White house government scientist are trying to figure out the 8th wonder of earth prophet Muhammad is in heaven and Christ Jesus is in heaven playing chess the board game as friends and neighbors and their low level people are at war with each other and their bosses prophet Muhammad and Christ Jesus are friends and neighbors good righteous peaceful and not at war with each other really in peace as the volcano lava flows over the ocean water and touches the ocean water and doesn’t dissolve or dry it to the dirt and the ocean water flows under volcano lava and touches the volcano lava and doesn’t harden it really in peace white house government scientist found and proven eternity life with a natural eternity life mirco earthworm swimming in volcano lava and didn’t burn itself and the white house government scientist found the same micro earthworm swimming in the ocean water and didn’t drown itself really in peace and the white house government scientist invented eternity life with a liquid drink drink it you get 200 years old of age really in peace my name is Reymundo Lopez 1013 West Buchanan st Harlingen tx 78550 USA could I have a donation of free money of 5,000 dollars for food and water thank you
No
So 70% longer of a 75-year-old let’s say with an expected lifespan of 2 years based on average male lifespan ?
I think I’m looking for something that will be the next version of this it reduces the cellular aging of the entire body and thereby creates a lifespan from the physical age point on . So let’s say you can pick 30 years old for physical Aid and you’re in your 60s that’s what I’m talking about. It would all be a treatment that you could overdo and kill yourself by going too young
Let’s hope that one’s not far off in the next year or so maybe based on this for longevity .
Is this funded by disney? They trying really hard for mickey, but Minnie mouse needs to be considered as well.
Good news for all of our glorious male world leaders, probably not so much for the rest of us.