Health

New anti-ageing drug will work at a cell level – and could prolong your lifespan

David Benjamin
A new anti-ageing drug class has been identified by researchers that could lead to ways to prolong lifespan in humans by acting on key gut bacteria processes. The experts, from Queen Mary University of London, have demonstrated that the new drug extends life in yeast by acting on a pathway which is also active in humans (Picture: Getty)
The findings, which have been published in the journal Communications Biology, reveal how drugs can influence lifespan through the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway. TOR is a widely researched pathway found across several species, including humans and yeast, which is a central regulator of growth and ageing, and plays a key role in age-related diseases such as cancer and dementia (Picture: Getty)
The pathway is already a major focus of anti-ageing and cancer research as drugs like rapamycin show promise in extending healthy lifespan in animals. However, this new study tested a next-generation drug Rapalink-1, which inhibits TOR and is being investigated for its anti-cancer properties. The study found a key role for a set of gut bacteria enzymes, known as agmatinases. Its role is to break down the metabolite agmatine and keep TOR activity in check (Picture: Getty)
Co-author Dr Charalampos Rallis said: ‘By showing that agmatinases are essential for healthy ageing, we’ve uncovered a new layer of metabolic control over TOR – one that may be conserved in humans. Because agmatine is produced by diet and gut microbes, this work may help explain how nutrition and the microbiome influence ageing’ (Picture: Getty)
Agmatine supplements are already available in stores but the study suggests that agmatine supplementation can be beneficial only when certain metabolic pathways in the body related to arginine breakdown are intact (Picture: Getty)
Dr Rallis said: ‘We should be cautious about consuming agmatine for growth or longevity purposes. Our data indicate the agmatine supplementation can be beneficial for growth only when certain metabolic pathways related to arginine breakdown are intact. In addition, agmatine does not always promote beneficial effects as it can contribute to certain pathologies’ (Picture: Getty)
The findings will have broad implications for healthy ageing research, as well as cancer biology and metabolic disease, pointing to new strategies that combine TOR-targeting drugs with dietary or microbial interventions. The researchers wrote: ‘Understanding how TORC1 activity is tuned may be beneficial in both normal ageing and also pathological states, as well as in cancer, where TOR plays important roles’ (Picture: Getty)

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