Latest news with #DameLindaPartridge
NDTV
29-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Anti-Ageing Drug Combo Extends Mouse Lifespan By 30%, Sparks Hope For Human Longevity
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A study reveals rapamycin and trametinib can extend mouse lifespan by 30%. Treated mice showed improved health markers, including reduced inflammation. Combined drugs resulted in a greater lifespan increase than either alone. A groundbreaking study by the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany has revealed that a combination of two FDA-approved drugs-rapamycin and trametinib-can extend the lifespan of mice by up to 30%. Beyond merely prolonging life, the treated mice exhibited improved health markers, including reduced inflammation, delayed tumor progression, and enhanced physical function. Rapamycin, commonly used to prevent organ rejection, and trametinib, a cancer treatment, target different cellular pathways involved in aging. Their combined effect resulted in a more significant lifespan extension than either drug alone. While rapamycin alone extended lifespan by 17-18% and trametinib by 7-16%, their combination achieved a remarkable 26-35% increase. As per a news release, although rapamycin and trametinib act on the same network, the combination achieves novel effects that are probably not solely due to an increase in dose. An analysis of gene expression in various tissues shows that the combination of the drugs influences the activity of the genes differently than is achieved by administering the drugs individually. There are specific changes in gene activity that are only caused by the combination of the two drugs. The researchers plan to determine the optimal dose and route of administration of Trametinib to maximise the health and life-prolonging effects while minimising unwanted side effects. As Trametinib is already approved for human use, it is possible to test it in clinical trials. "Trametinib, especially in combination with rapamycin, is a good candidate to be tested in clinical trials as a geroprotector. We hope that our results will be taken up by others and tested in humans. Our focus is on optimising the use of trametinib in animal models," explains Sebastian Gronke. Co-senior author Professor Dame Linda Partridge (UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing and Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing) said, "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. 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." These findings suggest potential for developing anti-aging therapies in humans. However, researchers caution that further studies and clinical trials are necessary to determine safety and efficacy in humans.
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
New Combination of Drugs Could Drastically Change How We Age: Scientists
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Combining two cancer drugs has been found to prolong the lifespan of mice—and may help humans age better. An international team of researchers analyzed the impact of rapamycin and trametinib on rodents, showing that the pair extended the animals' lifespan by around 30 percent. The combination therapy was also found to improve the mice's health in older age, reducing the extent of chronic inflammation in the brain and other tissues and slowing cancer onset. "We do not expect a similar extension to human lifespans as we found in mice," said paper author and geneticist professor Dame Linda Partridge of University College London in a statement. However, she added, "we hope that the drugs we're investigating could help people to stay healthy and disease-free for longer late in life." Bottles of Rapamycin and Trametinib on ice Bottles of Rapamycin and Trametinib on ice K. Link / Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing Both rapamycin and trametinib are drugs used to treat cancer that act on different points in the so-called Ras/Insulin/TOR signaling pathway that regulates cell growth, metabolism and lifespan. For animals, rapamycin is an established and potent "geroprotector," a type of drug that slows down the aging process and, as a result, can increase lifespan. Previous studies on flies have suggested that trametinib may also work as a geroprotector in mice—although this study is the first to demonstrate this effect. In their new study, the team found that the combination of the two drugs is more effective than either on their own, even though the two act on the same pathway. (Specifically, trametinib alone was found to increase the lifespan of mice by 5–10 percent and rapamycin alone by 15–20 percent.) The researchers say that the combination produces novel effects on gene activity—going beyond those expected from just the increased dosage With their initial study complete, the researchers are now working to establish the optimum dose of trametinib for prolonging life while keeping unwanted side effects to a minimum. Trametinib, the team note, has already been approved for use in humans, making it possible to assess its geroprotector potential in humans in clinical trials. "Trametinib, especially in combination with rapamycin, is a good candidate to be tested in clinical trials as a geroprotector," said paper author and biologist Sebastian Grönke of the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne, Germany, in a statement. "We hope that our results will be taken up by others and tested in humans. Our focus is on optimizing the use of trametinib in animal models." Partridge concluded: "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." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about aging? Let us know via health@ Reference Gkioni, L., Nespital, T., Baghdadi, M., Monzó, C., Bali, J., Nassr, T., Cremer, A. L., Beyer, A., Deelen, J., Backes, H., Grönke, S., & Partridge, L. (2025). The geroprotectors trametinib and rapamycin combine additively to extend mouse healthspan and lifespan. Nature Aging.
