Two existing drugs that could extend human lifespan

Imagine a life filled with vitality and joy, where you not only add years to your life but also enhance the quality of every moment.

Many of us strive to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, reach for vitamins and supplements that support healthier aging, and may even try calorie restriction in hopes of that end goal.

Those with deep pockets can employ extreme (and expensive) “hacks” like hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments, cryogenic chamber sessions, red light therapy, stem cell treatments and personal doctors or life coaches that keep them on strict regimens.

But what if living a longer, healthier life was as simple as popping a pill? Sounds like a pipe dream, right?

Well, we may be inching closer to that reality just by using currently approved drugs…

A longevity drug cocktail?

A research team led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Germany sought to explore the impact of a pair of anticancer drugs, rapamycin and trametinib, on the lifespan of mice. Researchers administered regular doses of rapamycin, trametinib, or both to hundreds of mice starting at six months of age. They then measured their survival for the remainder of their lives.

Rapamycin, which is also used to prevent organ rejection, has shown promise in extending lifespan in previous animal studies. Trametinib has been shown to extend the lifespan of fruit flies.

Each drug individually showed potential. Rapamycin alone extended the lifespan of mice by 17% to 18%. At the same time, trametinib showed a more modest boost in longevity, at 7% to 16%.

But it was together that the drugs truly shone…

Mice treated with a combination of rapamycin and trametinib saw a lifespan extension of about 26% to 35%.

Both of the drugs act on the same signaling pathway, known as the Ras/Insulin/TOR network, which plays a central role in aging. However, they target different points along the path.

When the researchers analyzed gene expression, they found specific changes that occurred only when the drugs were administered together.

What’s more, the combo treatment delayed the growth of liver and spleen tumors in the mice and reduced chronic inflammation in the brain. The treated mice also seemed more active in older age than the control mice, weighed less and experienced a slower decline in heart function.

But we’re not there yet

While these results are encouraging, they are far from proving that these drugs are a miracle longevity elixir.

They need to be tested in humans first, and the researchers agree that they likely won’t have the same impact on lifespan as they did in the mice, but could hold benefits for our golden years.

“While we do not expect a similar extension to human lifespans as we found in mice, we hope that the drugs we’re investigating could help people to stay healthy and disease-free for longer late in life,” says geneticist Linda Partridge, co-senior author of the study.

“Further research in humans in years to come will help us to elucidate how these drugs may be useful to people, and who might be able to benefit,” Partridge adds.

Since both rapamycin and trametinib are already approved for use in humans in the US and European Union, human trials for the drug combo could begin soon.

But I can’t help but wonder what the cost of these cancer drugs will be if they’re approved for off-label use, and if we are looking at just another health hack for the rich and famous. It’s doubtful insurance companies will foot the bill in the absence of a medical diagnosis.

In the meantime, don’t sit idly by while your longevity clock keeps ticking away. Check out how a simple vitamin slowed biological age by three years— and in human subjects! Plus, 10 micronutrients that turn the key on age reversal.

Sources:

Live longer — EurekAlert!

Anti-Aging Cocktail Extends Mouse Lifespan by About 30 Percent — Science Alert

The geroprotectors trametinib and rapamycin combine additively to extend mouse healthspan and lifespan — Nature Aging

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for healthy aging: From mechanisms to therapeutics — Redox  Biology

Cold and longevity: Can cold exposure counteract aging? — Life Sciences

Near-infrared light increases ATP, extends lifespan and improves mobility in aged Drosophila melanogaster— Biology Letters

Anti-aging based on stem cell therapy: A scoping review — World Journal of Experimental Medicine