Combating the effects of aging would be possible thanks to rapamycin prescribed with metformin (an antidiabetic drug) according to the results of a study published in the medical journal the Journal of Gerontology.
Rapamycin was discovered on Easter Island in the South Pacific Ocean. It is primarily used as an immunosuppressant to prevent organ and tissue rejection. But previous scientific studies had revealed that this molecule slowed down the effects of aging. However, rapamycin has some drawbacks.
As it also increases insulin resistance and can promote diabetes, it cannot therefore currently be prescribed to humans.
But researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University have found a way to limit the serious side effects of rapamycin.
Lab mice were given rapamycin which was shown to decrease the addict’s age, boost physical activity and cardiovascular health, improve cognition, reduce cancer incidence and prolong life. Scientists have associated this treatment with metformin, a drug often prescribed to diabetics. And they found that this combination prevented the side effects of rapamycin.
“This could provide a way to not only increase lifespan, but also to fight certain age-related diseases and improve overall health,” said Professor Victoria Perez. “We could find a way so that people no longer just survive, but live better and with a better quality of life.”
“But there is still a lot of research to be done to be able to prescribe this treatment to humans,” says Professor Victoria Perez. Nevertheless, the potential of this study is exciting.”
The neurodegenerative diseases are the fourth cause of death in France. They mainly affect the elderly. There are between 750,000 and one million patients in France. According to projections, this figure could reach between 1.29 and 1.4 million people in 2030.
