Revolutionary Therapy: How Cancer Drugs Expand the Lifespan of Mice!

Revolutionary Therapy: How Cancer Drugs Expand the Lifespan of Mice!

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging have developed an innovative combination therapy with the cancer drugs rapamycin and trametinib that shows promising results in extending the lifespan of mice. The therapy leads to a significant life extension of up to 35%, which is far beyond the effects of individual medications. According to individual studies, rapamycin increases lifespan by 15-20% and trametinib by 5-10%, so the combination opens up remarkable advances in the field of aging research.

The animals that were treated with one of the two substances or their combination from the age of six months not only showed an increased lifespan, but also a significant reduction in age-related diseases. A reduced number of tumors and less chronic inflammation were found in the organs of the treated mice. In particular, inflammatory activity was significantly lower in the brain, spleen and kidney, indicating improvements in overall health quality. Female mice benefited more from the treatment than males, providing an interesting direction for future research.

Mechanisms and effects of therapy

The way these drugs work is scientifically exciting. Rapamycin acts as a potent geroprotector that slows down the aging process, while trametinib interferes with the Ras/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, whose influence on lifespan was previously unclear. When administered together, the drugs show altered gene activity that was not observed when administered alone. This may indicate that optimal administration needs to be carefully planned to achieve the most effective results.

The researchers intend to further determine the optimal dose and route of administration of trametinib. This is particularly relevant since trametinib is already approved for use in humans, providing a basis for future clinical trials. Sebastian Grönke, one of the researchers, is optimistic about the possible results of these studies.

Prospect of human application

The question remains, however, whether these therapies can also have the same effect in humans. Prof Dame Linda Partridge says lifespan extension may not be achieved to a similar extent in humans. Nevertheless, these drugs could make a decisive contribution to maintaining health in old age. Such a safe concept could be of enormous importance to many people who harbor the dream of a longer, healthier life.

Research into aging and longevity has advanced significantly in recent decades. Thirty years ago this was still a fringe phenomenon in science. Evidence that the aging process is modifiable has come from discoveries like Cynthia Kenyon's in nematodes, but challenges remain, particularly in translating findings from model animals to humans. Current approaches such as senolytics show promise, although initial clinical studies show mixed results regarding their effectiveness.

Overall, the research at the Max Planck Institute represents an exciting development in anti-aging research, the progress of which is eagerly awaited. It remains to be seen what further insights the upcoming clinical studies will produce and whether the fascinating results of the animal studies can also have a similar impact on quality of life and health in old age in humans.

For further information on the study and the results, see the articles Max Planck Society, Ingenieur.de and National Geographic be visited.