New horizons in life extension, healthspan extension and exceptional longevity

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Pharmacology
• Biogerontology

Background:

• Aging is linked to numerous chronic diseases and syndromes.
• Therapeutic agents targeting aging processes could potentially prevent or delay multiple diseases simultaneously.
• This presents an opportunity to reduce the burden of age-related diseases and enhance healthspan and lifespan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the development and discovery of gerotherapeutic drugs.
• To identify strategies for targeting aging pathways to combat age-related diseases.
• To discuss the challenges and progress in gerotherapeutic drug development.

Main Methods:

• Screening for novel compounds affecting aging pathways.
• Repurposing existing drugs for anti-aging effects.
• Investigating genetic variants in exceptionally long-lived populations for drug targets.
• Evaluating promising gerotherapeutics like metformin and rapamycin in clinical trials.

Main Results:

• Several gerotherapeutic drugs, including metformin, rapamycin, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide precursors, are in human clinical trials.
• Numerous other potential gerotherapeutics are under investigation in preclinical and animal models.
• Identifying genetic targets from long-lived populations offers a novel drug discovery approach.

Conclusions:

• Gerotherapeutic drugs offer a promising strategy to address multiple age-related diseases and improve healthspan.
• Ongoing clinical trials are crucial for validating the efficacy and safety of these agents.
• Overcoming hurdles in clinical trial design is essential for the successful licensing and marketing of gerotherapeutics.