Anti-ageing effects of FDA-approved medicines: a focused review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and pharmacology
• Drug discovery and development
• Molecular biology of aging

Background:

• Aging is a complex process influenced by cellular senescence, free radicals, and inflammation.
• Age-related diseases significantly impact quality of life, driving interest in anti-aging interventions.
• Identifying safe and effective anti-aging medicines is a key area of scientific research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the in vivo anti-aging activity of drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• To identify potential mechanisms of action for these drugs in promoting longevity.
• To explore pre-clinical data that may inform future anti-aging therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing studies on FDA-approved drugs with reported anti-aging effects.
• Analysis of pre-clinical data focusing on in vivo anti-aging activities.
• Categorization of drugs based on their proposed mechanisms of action, such as AMPK activation or mTOR inhibition.

Main Results:

• Alogliptin, canagliflozin, and metformin may exert anti-aging effects via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation.
• Rapamycin and canagliflozin show potential for lifespan extension by inhibiting the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR).
• Atracurium, carnitine, and statins act as DAF-16 activators, while other drugs target genomic integrity or have indirect effects like insulin lowering.

Conclusions:

• Several FDA-approved drugs exhibit potential anti-aging properties through diverse molecular pathways.
• Drugs like canagliflozin, metformin, rapamycin, and acarbose may promote lifespan, particularly in male animal models.
• These findings provide valuable mechanistic insights for developing novel anti-aging therapies.