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Vedunova M, Borysova O, Kozlov G, Zharova AM, Morgunov I, Moskalev A. Candidate molecular targets uncovered in mouse lifespan extension studies. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2024; 28:513-528. [PMID: 38656034 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2024.2346597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Multiple interventions have demonstrated an increase in mouse lifespan. However, non-standardized controls, sex or strain-specific factors, and insufficient focus on targets, hinder the translation of these findings into clinical applications. AREAS COVERED We examined the effects of genetic and drug-based interventions on mice from databases DrugAge, GenAge, the Mouse Phenome Database, and publications from PubMed that led to a lifespan extension of more than 10%, identifying specific molecular targets that were manipulated to achieve the maximum lifespan in mice. Subsequently, we characterized 10 molecular targets influenced by these interventions, with particular attention given to clinical trials and potential indications for each. EXPERT OPINION To increase the translational potential of mice life-extension studies to clinical research several factors are crucial: standardization of mice lifespan research approaches, the development of clear criteria for control and experimental groups, the establishment of criteria for potential geroprotectors, and focusing on targets and their clinical application. Pinpointing the targets affected by geroprotectors helps in understanding species-specific differences and identifying potential side effects, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of clinical trials. Additionally, target review facilitates the optimization of treatment protocols and the evaluation of the clinical feasibility of translating research findings into practical therapies for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vedunova
- Institute of Biomedicine, Institute of Biogerontology, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (Lobachevsky University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | | | - Grigory Kozlov
- Institute of Biomedicine, Institute of Biogerontology, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (Lobachevsky University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Anna-Maria Zharova
- Institute of Biomedicine, Institute of Biogerontology, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (Lobachevsky University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | | | - Alexey Moskalev
- Institute of Biomedicine, Institute of Biogerontology, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (Lobachevsky University), Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
- Longaevus Technologies LTD, London, United Kingdom
- Russian Gerontology Research and Clinical Centre, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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2
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Ohtsuka H, Shimasaki T, Aiba H. Low-Molecular Weight Compounds that Extend the Chronological Lifespan of Yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2400138. [PMID: 38616173 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202400138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Yeast is an excellent model organism for research for regulating aging and lifespan, and the studies have made many contributions to date, including identifying various factors and signaling pathways related to aging and lifespan. More than 20 years have passed since molecular biological perspectives are adopted in this research field, and intracellular factors and signal pathways that control aging and lifespan have evolutionarily conserved from yeast to mammals. Furthermore, these findings have been applied to control the aging and lifespan of various model organisms by adjustment of the nutritional environment, genetic manipulation, and drug treatment using low-molecular weight compounds. Among these, drug treatment is easier than the other methods, and research into drugs that regulate aging and lifespan is consequently expected to become more active. Chronological lifespan, a definition of yeast lifespan, refers to the survival period of a cell population under nondividing conditions. Herein, low-molecular weight compounds are summarized that extend the chronological lifespan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, along with their intracellular functions. The low-molecular weight compounds are also discussed that extend the lifespan of other model organisms. Compounds that have so far only been studied in yeast may soon extend lifespan in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hokuto Ohtsuka
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takafumi Shimasaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Aiba
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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3
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Phillips EJ, Simons MJP. Rapamycin not dietary restriction improves resilience against pathogens: a meta-analysis. GeroScience 2022; 45:1263-1270. [PMID: 36399256 PMCID: PMC9886774 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00691-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary restriction (DR) and rapamycin both increase lifespan across a number of taxa. Despite this positive effect on lifespan and other aspects of health, reductions in some physiological functions have been reported for DR, and rapamycin has been used as an immunosuppressant. Perhaps surprisingly, both interventions have been suggested to improve immune function and delay immunosenescence. The immune system is complex and consists of many components. Therefore, arguably, the most holistic measurement of immune function is survival from an acute pathogenic infection. We reanalysed published post-infection short-term survival data of mice (n = 1223 from 23 studies comprising 46 effect sizes involving DR (n = 17) and rapamycin treatment (n = 29) and analysed these results using meta-analysis. Rapamycin treatment significantly increased post infection survival rate (lnHR = - 0.72; CI = - 1.17, -0.28; p = 0.0015). In contrast, DR reduced post-infection survival (lnHR = 0.80; CI = 0.08, 1.52; p = 0.03). Importantly, the overall effect size of rapamycin treatment was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than the estimate from DR studies, suggesting opposite effects on immune function. Our results show that immunomodulation caused by rapamycin treatment is beneficial to the survival from acute infection. For DR, our results are based on a smaller number of studies, but do warrant caution as they indicate possible immune costs of DR. Our quantitative synthesis suggests that the geroprotective effects of rapamycin extend to the immune system and warrants further clinical trials of rapamycin to boost immunity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor J. Phillips
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
| | - Mirre J. P. Simons
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
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4
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Effects of lifespan-extending interventions on cognitive healthspan. Expert Rev Mol Med 2022; 25:e2. [PMID: 36377361 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2022.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ageing is known to be the primary risk factor for most neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. They are currently incurable and worsen over time, which has broad implications in the context of lifespan and healthspan extension. Adding years to life and even to physical health is suboptimal or even insufficient, if cognitive ageing is not adequately improved. In this review, we will examine how interventions that have the potential to extend lifespan in animals affect the brain, and if they would be able to thwart or delay the development of cognitive dysfunction and/or neurodegeneration. These interventions range from lifestyle (caloric restriction, physical exercise and environmental enrichment) through pharmacological (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide precursors, resveratrol, rapamycin, metformin, spermidine and senolytics) to epigenetic reprogramming. We argue that while many of these interventions have clear potential to improve cognitive health and resilience, large-scale and long-term randomised controlled trials are needed, along with studies utilising washout periods to determine the effects of supplementation cessation, particularly in aged individuals.
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Intestine-specific removal of DAF-2 nearly doubles lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans with little fitness cost. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6339. [PMID: 36284093 PMCID: PMC9596710 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33850-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty-nine years following the breakthrough discovery that a single-gene mutation of daf-2 doubles Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan, it remains unclear where this insulin/IGF-1 receptor gene is expressed and where it acts to regulate ageing. Using knock-in fluorescent reporters, we determined that daf-2 and its downstream transcription factor daf-16 are expressed ubiquitously. Using tissue-specific targeted protein degradation, we determined that intracellular DAF-2-to-DAF-16 signaling in the intestine plays a major role in lifespan regulation, while that in the hypodermis, neurons, and germline plays a minor role. Notably, intestine-specific loss of DAF-2 activates DAF-16 in and outside the intestine, causes almost no adverse effects on development and reproduction, and extends lifespan by 94% in a way that partly requires non-intestinal DAF-16. Consistent with intestine supplying nutrients to the entire body, evidence from this and other studies suggests that altered metabolism, particularly down-regulation of protein and RNA synthesis, mediates longevity by reduction of insulin/IGF-1 signaling.
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Couteur DGL, Barzilai N. New horizons in life extension, healthspan extension and exceptional longevity. Age Ageing 2022; 51:6653481. [PMID: 35932241 PMCID: PMC9356533 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Many common chronic diseases and syndromes are ageing-related. This raises the prospect that therapeutic agents that target the biological changes of ageing will prevent or delay multiple diseases with a single therapy. Gerotherapeutic drugs are those that target pathways involved in ageing, with the aims of reducing the burden of ageing-related diseases and increasing lifespan and healthspan. The approach to discovering gerotherapeutic drugs is similar to that used to discover drugs for diseases. This includes screening for novel compounds that act on receptors or pathways that influence ageing or repurposing of drugs currently available for other indications. A novel approach involves studying populations with exceptional longevity, in order to identify genes variants linked with longer lifespan and could be targeted by drugs. Metformin, rapamycin and precursors of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide are amongst the frontrunners of gerotherapeutics that are moving into human clinical trials to evaluate their effects on ageing. There are also increasing numbers of potential gerotherapeutic drugs in the pipeline or being studied in animal models. A key hurdle is designing clinical trials that are both feasible and can provide sufficient clinical evidence to support licencing and marketing of gerotherapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Le Couteur
- Address correspondence to: D. Le Couteur, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Concord Hospital, Hospital Road, Concord NSW 2112 Australia. Tel: (+61) 2 9767 7212; Fax: (+61) 2 9767 5419.
| | - Nir Barzilai
- Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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7
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Culig L, Chu X, Bohr VA. Neurogenesis in aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 78:101636. [PMID: 35490966 PMCID: PMC9168971 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis, the process by which neurons are generated in certain areas of the adult brain, declines in an age-dependent manner and is one potential target for extending cognitive healthspan. Aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases and, as lifespans are increasing, these health challenges are becoming more prevalent. An age-associated loss in neural stem cell number and/or activity could cause this decline in brain function, so interventions that reverse aging in stem cells might increase the human cognitive healthspan. In this review, we describe the involvement of adult neurogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases and address the molecular mechanistic aspects of neurogenesis that involve some of the key aggregation-prone proteins in the brain (i.e., tau, Aβ, α-synuclein, …). We summarize the research pertaining to interventions that increase neurogenesis and regulate known targets in aging research, such as mTOR and sirtuins. Lastly, we share our outlook on restoring the levels of neurogenesis to physiological levels in elderly individuals and those with neurodegeneration. We suggest that modulating neurogenesis represents a potential target for interventions that could help in the fight against neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luka Culig
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Xixia Chu
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Vilhelm A Bohr
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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8
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Trautman ME, Richardson NE, Lamming DW. Protein restriction and branched-chain amino acid restriction promote geroprotective shifts in metabolism. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13626. [PMID: 35526271 PMCID: PMC9197406 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The proportion of humans suffering from age‐related diseases is increasing around the world, and creative solutions are needed to promote healthy longevity. Recent work has clearly shown that a calorie is not just a calorie—and that low protein diets are associated with reduced mortality in humans and promote metabolic health and extended lifespan in rodents. Many of the benefits of protein restriction on metabolism and aging are the result of decreased consumption of the three branched‐chain amino acids (BCAAs), leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Here, we discuss the emerging evidence that BCAAs are critical modulators of healthy metabolism and longevity in rodents and humans, as well as the physiological and molecular mechanisms that may drive the benefits of BCAA restriction. Our results illustrate that protein quality—the specific composition of dietary protein—may be a previously unappreciated driver of metabolic dysfunction and that reducing dietary BCAAs may be a promising new approach to delay and prevent diseases of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela E. Trautman
- Department of Medicine University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital Madison Wisconsin USA
- Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Nicole E. Richardson
- Department of Medicine University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital Madison Wisconsin USA
- Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology Graduate Training Program University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Dudley W. Lamming
- Department of Medicine University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital Madison Wisconsin USA
- Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology Graduate Training Program University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
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9
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Antiaging Effect of 4-N-Furfurylcytosine in Yeast Model Manifests through Enhancement of Mitochondrial Activity and ROS Reduction. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11050850. [PMID: 35624714 PMCID: PMC9137487 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11050850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Small compounds are a large group of chemicals characterized by various biological properties. Some of them also have antiaging potential, which is mainly attributed to their antioxidant activity. In this study, we examined the antiaging effect of 4-N-Furfurylcytosine (FC), a cytosine derivative belonging to a group of small compounds, on budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We chose this yeast model as it is known to contain multiple conserved genes and mechanisms identical to that of humans and has been proven to be successful in aging research. The chronological lifespan assay performed in the study revealed that FC improved the viability of yeast cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, enhanced mitochondrial activity, together with reduced intracellular ROS level, was observed in FC-treated yeast cells. The gene expression analysis confirmed that FC treatment resulted in the restriction of the TORC1 signaling pathway. These results indicate that FC has antiaging properties.
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10
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Distinct and additive effects of calorie restriction and rapamycin in aging skeletal muscle. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2025. [PMID: 35440545 PMCID: PMC9018781 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29714-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Preserving skeletal muscle function is essential to maintain life quality at high age. Calorie restriction (CR) potently extends health and lifespan, but is largely unachievable in humans, making “CR mimetics” of great interest. CR targets nutrient-sensing pathways centering on mTORC1. The mTORC1 inhibitor, rapamycin, is considered a potential CR mimetic and is proven to counteract age-related muscle loss. Therefore, we tested whether rapamycin acts via similar mechanisms as CR to slow muscle aging. Here we show that long-term CR and rapamycin unexpectedly display distinct gene expression profiles in geriatric mouse skeletal muscle, despite both benefiting aging muscles. Furthermore, CR improves muscle integrity in mice with nutrient-insensitive, sustained muscle mTORC1 activity and rapamycin provides additive benefits to CR in naturally aging mouse muscles. We conclude that rapamycin and CR exert distinct, compounding effects in aging skeletal muscle, thus opening the possibility of parallel interventions to counteract muscle aging. The anti-aging intervention calorie restriction (CR) is thought to act via the nutrient-sensing multiprotein complex mTORC1. Here the authors show that the mTORC1-inhibitor rapamycin and CR use largely distinct mechanisms to slow mouse muscle aging.
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11
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Dietary Restriction and Rapamycin Affect Brain Aging in Mice by Attenuating Age-Related DNA Methylation Changes. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13040699. [PMID: 35456505 PMCID: PMC9030181 DOI: 10.3390/genes13040699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The fact that dietary restriction (DR) and long-term rapamycin treatment (RALL) can ameliorate the aging process has been reported by many researchers. As the interface between external and genetic factors, epigenetic modification such as DNA methylation may have latent effects on the aging rate at the molecular level. To understand the mechanism behind the impacts of dietary restriction and rapamycin on aging, DNA methylation and gene expression changes were measured in the hippocampi of different-aged mice. Examining the single-base resolution of DNA methylation, we discovered that both dietary restriction and rapamycin treatment can maintain DNA methylation in a younger state compared to normal-aged mice. Through functional enrichment analysis of genes in which DNA methylation or gene expression can be affected by DR/RALL, we found that DR/RALL may retard aging through a relationship in which DNA methylation and gene expression work together not only in the same gene but also in the same biological process. This study is instructive for understanding the maintenance of DNA methylation by DR/RALL in the aging process, as well as the role of DR and RALL in the amelioration of aging.
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12
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Fernandes SA, Demetriades C. The Multifaceted Role of Nutrient Sensing and mTORC1 Signaling in Physiology and Aging. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2021; 2:707372. [PMID: 35822019 PMCID: PMC9261424 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.707372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a growth-related kinase that, in the context of the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), touches upon most fundamental cellular processes. Consequently, its activity is a critical determinant for cellular and organismal physiology, while its dysregulation is commonly linked to human aging and age-related disease. Presumably the most important stimulus that regulates mTORC1 activity is nutrient sufficiency, whereby amino acids play a predominant role. In fact, mTORC1 functions as a molecular sensor for amino acids, linking the cellular demand to the nutritional supply. Notably, dietary restriction (DR), a nutritional regimen that has been shown to extend lifespan and improve healthspan in a broad spectrum of organisms, works via limiting nutrient uptake and changes in mTORC1 activity. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1, using rapamycin or its analogs (rapalogs), can mimic the pro-longevity effects of DR. Conversely, nutritional amino acid overload has been tightly linked to aging and diseases, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Similar effects can also be recapitulated by mutations in upstream mTORC1 regulators, thus establishing a tight connection between mTORC1 signaling and aging. Although the role of growth factor signaling upstream of mTORC1 in aging has been investigated extensively, the involvement of signaling components participating in the nutrient sensing branch is less well understood. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that signal nutrient availability to mTORC1, and summarize the role that nutrients, nutrient sensors, and other components of the nutrient sensing machinery play in cellular and organismal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Fernandes
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing (MPI-AGE), Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Graduate School for Ageing Research (CGA), Cologne, Germany
| | - Constantinos Demetriades
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing (MPI-AGE), Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Graduate School for Ageing Research (CGA), Cologne, Germany
- University of Cologne, Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cologne, Germany
- *Correspondence: Constantinos Demetriades,
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13
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Holzscheck N, Falckenhayn C, Söhle J, Kristof B, Siegner R, Werner A, Schössow J, Jürgens C, Völzke H, Wenck H, Winnefeld M, Grönniger E, Kaderali L. Modeling transcriptomic age using knowledge-primed artificial neural networks. NPJ Aging Mech Dis 2021; 7:15. [PMID: 34075044 PMCID: PMC8169742 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-021-00068-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of 'age clocks', machine learning models predicting age from biological data, has been a major milestone in the search for reliable markers of biological age and has since become an invaluable tool in aging research. However, beyond their unquestionable utility, current clocks offer little insight into the molecular biological processes driving aging, and their inner workings often remain non-transparent. Here we propose a new type of age clock, one that couples predictivity with interpretability of the underlying biology, achieved through the incorporation of prior knowledge into the model design. The clock, an artificial neural network constructed according to well-described biological pathways, allows the prediction of age from gene expression data of skin tissue with high accuracy, while at the same time capturing and revealing aging states of the pathways driving the prediction. The model recapitulates known associations of aging gene knockdowns in simulation experiments and demonstrates its utility in deciphering the main pathways by which accelerated aging conditions such as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, as well as pro-longevity interventions like caloric restriction, exert their effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Holzscheck
- Front End Innovation, Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany.
- Institute for Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
| | | | - Jörn Söhle
- Front End Innovation, Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Boris Kristof
- Front End Innovation, Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Siegner
- Front End Innovation, Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - André Werner
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Janka Schössow
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Clemens Jürgens
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Henry Völzke
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Horst Wenck
- Front End Innovation, Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Lars Kaderali
- Institute for Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
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14
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Lu YX, Regan JC, Eßer J, Drews LF, Weinseis T, Stinn J, Hahn O, Miller RA, Grönke S, Partridge L. A TORC1-histone axis regulates chromatin organisation and non-canonical induction of autophagy to ameliorate ageing. eLife 2021; 10:62233. [PMID: 33988501 PMCID: PMC8186904 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related changes to histone levels are seen in many species. However, it is unclear whether changes to histone expression could be exploited to ameliorate the effects of ageing in multicellular organisms. Here we show that inhibition of mTORC1 by the lifespan-extending drug rapamycin increases expression of histones H3 and H4 post-transcriptionally through eIF3-mediated translation. Elevated expression of H3/H4 in intestinal enterocytes in Drosophila alters chromatin organisation, induces intestinal autophagy through transcriptional regulation, and prevents age-related decline in the intestine. Importantly, it also mediates rapamycin-induced longevity and intestinal health. Histones H3/H4 regulate expression of an autophagy cargo adaptor Bchs (WDFY3 in mammals), increased expression of which in enterocytes mediates increased H3/H4-dependent healthy longevity. In mice, rapamycin treatment increases expression of histone proteins and Wdfy3 transcription, and alters chromatin organisation in the small intestine, suggesting that the mTORC1-histone axis is at least partially conserved in mammals and may offer new targets for anti-ageing interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Xuan Lu
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jennifer C Regan
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline Eßer
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lisa F Drews
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Weinseis
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Stinn
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Oliver Hahn
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Richard A Miller
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | | | - Linda Partridge
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.,Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Kurup K, Matyi S, Giles CB, Wren JD, Jones K, Ericsson A, Raftery D, Wang L, Promislow D, Richardson A, Unnikrishnan A. Calorie restriction prevents age-related changes in the intestinal microbiota. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:6298-6329. [PMID: 33744869 PMCID: PMC7993711 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The effect of calorie restriction (CR) on the microbiome, fecal metabolome, and colon transcriptome of adult and old male mice was compared. Life-long CR increased microbial diversity and the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and prevented the age-related changes in the microbiota, shifting it to a younger microbial and fecal metabolite profile in both C57BL/6JN and B6D2F1 mice. Old mice fed CR were enriched in the Rikenellaceae, S24-7 and Bacteroides families. The changes in the microbiome that occur with age and CR were initiated in the cecum and further modified in the colon. Short-term CR in adult mice had a minor effect on the microbiome but a major effect on the transcriptome of the colon mucosa. These data suggest that CR has a major impact on the physiological status of the gastrointestinal system, maintaining it in a more youthful state, which in turn could result in a more diverse and youthful microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Kurup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Stephanie Matyi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Cory B. Giles
- Genes and Human Diseases Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jonathan D. Wren
- Genes and Human Diseases Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Oklahoma Center for Geoscience and Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Kenneth Jones
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Aaron Ericsson
- University of Missouri Metagenomics Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Daniel Raftery
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Daniel Promislow
- Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Arlan Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Oklahoma Center for Geoscience and Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Archana Unnikrishnan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Oklahoma Center for Geoscience and Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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16
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Birkisdóttir MB, Jaarsma D, Brandt RMC, Barnhoorn S, Vliet N, Imholz S, Oostrom CT, Nagarajah B, Portilla Fernández E, Roks AJM, Elgersma Y, Steeg H, Ferreira JA, Pennings JLA, Hoeijmakers JHJ, Vermeij WP, Dollé MET. Unlike dietary restriction, rapamycin fails to extend lifespan and reduce transcription stress in progeroid DNA repair-deficient mice. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13302. [PMID: 33484480 PMCID: PMC7884048 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary restriction (DR) and rapamycin extend healthspan and life span across multiple species. We have recently shown that DR in progeroid DNA repair‐deficient mice dramatically extended healthspan and trippled life span. Here, we show that rapamycin, while significantly lowering mTOR signaling, failed to improve life span nor healthspan of DNA repair‐deficient Ercc1∆/− mice, contrary to DR tested in parallel. Rapamycin interventions focusing on dosage, gender, and timing all were unable to alter life span. Even genetically modifying mTOR signaling failed to increase life span of DNA repair‐deficient mice. The absence of effects by rapamycin on P53 in brain and transcription stress in liver is in sharp contrast with results obtained by DR, and appoints reducing DNA damage and transcription stress as an important mode of action of DR, lacking by rapamycin. Together, this indicates that mTOR inhibition does not mediate the beneficial effects of DR in progeroid mice, revealing that DR and rapamycin strongly differ in their modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- María B. Birkisdóttir
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Genome Instability and Nutrition ONCODE Institute Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Dick Jaarsma
- Department of Neuroscience Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | | | - Sander Barnhoorn
- Department of Molecular Genetics Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Nicole Vliet
- Department of Molecular Genetics Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Imholz
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM Bilthoven The Netherlands
| | - Conny T. Oostrom
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM Bilthoven The Netherlands
| | - Bhawani Nagarajah
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM Bilthoven The Netherlands
| | - Eliana Portilla Fernández
- Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology Department of Internal Medicine Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Anton J. M. Roks
- Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology Department of Internal Medicine Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of Neuroscience Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Harry Steeg
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM Bilthoven The Netherlands
| | - José A. Ferreira
- Department of Statistics, Informatics and Modelling National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM Bilthoven The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen L. A. Pennings
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM Bilthoven The Netherlands
| | - Jan H. J. Hoeijmakers
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Genome Instability and Nutrition ONCODE Institute Utrecht The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Genetics Erasmus MC Rotterdam The Netherlands
- CECAD Forschungszentrum Köln Germany
| | - Wilbert P. Vermeij
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Genome Instability and Nutrition ONCODE Institute Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Martijn E. T. Dollé
- Centre for Health Protection National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM Bilthoven The Netherlands
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17
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Wu C, Liu J, Ma J, Yan Q, Jiang Z. Neoagarotetraose extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans through AMPK mediated signaling pathways and activation of autophagy. J Funct Foods 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2020.104341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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18
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Still Living Better through Chemistry: An Update on Caloric Restriction and Caloric Restriction Mimetics as Tools to Promote Health and Lifespan. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239220. [PMID: 33287232 PMCID: PMC7729921 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caloric restriction (CR), the reduction of caloric intake without inducing malnutrition, is the most reproducible method of extending health and lifespan across numerous organisms, including humans. However, with nearly one-third of the world’s population overweight, it is obvious that caloric restriction approaches are difficult for individuals to achieve. Therefore, identifying compounds that mimic CR is desirable to promote longer, healthier lifespans without the rigors of restricting diet. Many compounds, such as rapamycin (and its derivatives), metformin, or other naturally occurring products in our diets (nutraceuticals), induce CR-like states in laboratory models. An alternative to CR is the removal of specific elements (such as individual amino acids) from the diet. Despite our increasing knowledge of the multitude of CR approaches and CR mimetics, the extent to which these strategies overlap mechanistically remains unclear. Here we provide an update of CR and CR mimetic research, summarizing mechanisms by which these strategies influence genome function required to treat age-related pathologies and identify the molecular fountain of youth.
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19
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Le Couteur DG, Solon-Biet SM, Cogger VC, Ribeiro R, de Cabo R, Raubenheimer D, Cooney GJ, Simpson SJ. Branched chain amino acids, aging and age-related health. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 64:101198. [PMID: 33132154 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Branched chain amino acids (BCAA: leucine, valine, isoleucine) have key physiological roles in the regulation of protein synthesis, metabolism, food intake and aging. Many studies report apparently inconsistent conclusions about the relationships between blood levels of BCAAs or dietary manipulation of BCAAs with age-related changes in body composition, sarcopenia, obesity, insulin and glucose metabolism, and aging biology itself. These divergent results can be resolved by consideration of the role of BCAAs as signalling molecules and the bidirectional mechanistic relationship between BCAAs and some aging phenotypes. The effects of BCAAs are also influenced by the background nutritional composition such as macronutrient ratios and imbalance with other amino acids. Understanding the interaction between BCAAs and other components of the diet may provide new opportunities for influencing age-related outcomes through manipulation of dietary BCAAs together with titration of macronutrient ratios and other amino acids.
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20
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Schneider A, Saccon TD, Garcia DN, Zanini BM, Isola JVV, Hense JD, Alvarado-Rincón JA, Cavalcante MB, Mason JB, Stout MB, Bartke A, Masternak MM. The Interconnections Between Somatic and Ovarian Aging in Murine Models. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020; 76:1579-1586. [PMID: 33037434 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaa258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian female is born with a limited ovarian reserve of primordial follicles. These primordial follicles are slowly activated throughout the reproductive lifecycle, thereby determining lifecycle length. Once primordial follicles are exhausted, women undergo menopause, which is associated with several metabolic perturbations and a higher mortality risk. Long before exhaustion of the reserve, females experience severe declines in fertility and health. As such, significant efforts have been made to unravel the mechanisms that promote ovarian aging and insufficiency. In this review, we explain how long-living murine models can provide insights in the regulation of ovarian aging. There is now overwhelming evidence that most life-span-extending strategies, and long-living mutant models simultaneously delay ovarian aging. Therefore, it appears that the same mechanisms that regulate somatic aging may also be modulating ovarian aging and germ cell exhaustion. We explore several potential contributing mechanisms including insulin resistance, inflammation, and DNA damage-all of which are hallmarks of cellular aging throughout the body including the ovary. These findings are in alignment with the disposable soma theory of aging, which dictates a trade-off between growth, reproduction, and DNA repair. Therefore, delaying ovarian aging will not only increase the fertility window of middle age females, but may also actively prevent menopausal-related decline in systemic health parameters, compressing the period of morbidity in mid-to-late life in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Schneider
- Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Tatiana D Saccon
- Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Driele N Garcia
- Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Bianka M Zanini
- Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - José V V Isola
- Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jéssica D Hense
- Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Joao A Alvarado-Rincón
- Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Jeffrey B Mason
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Center for Integrated BioSystems, School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan
| | - Michael B Stout
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.,Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
| | - Andrzej Bartke
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Physiology, Southern Illinois, University School of Medicine, Springfield
| | - Michal M Masternak
- College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando
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21
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Santos SM, Laflin S, Broadway A, Burnet C, Hartheimer J, Rodgers J, Smith DL, Hartman JL. High-resolution yeast quiescence profiling in human-like media reveals complex influences of auxotrophy and nutrient availability. GeroScience 2020; 43:941-964. [PMID: 33015753 PMCID: PMC8110628 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-020-00265-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Yeast cells survive in stationary phase culture by entering quiescence, which is measured by colony-forming capacity upon nutrient re-exposure. Yeast chronological lifespan (CLS) studies, employing the comprehensive collection of gene knockout strains, have correlated weakly between independent laboratories, which is hypothesized to reflect differential interaction between the deleted genes, auxotrophy, media composition, and other assay conditions influencing quiescence. This hypothesis was investigated by high-throughput quiescence profiling of the parental prototrophic strain, from which the gene deletion strain libraries were constructed, and all possible auxotrophic allele combinations in that background. Defined media resembling human cell culture media promoted long-term quiescence and was used to assess effects of glucose, ammonium sulfate, auxotrophic nutrient availability, target of rapamycin signaling, and replication stress. Frequent, high-replicate measurements of colony-forming capacity from cultures aged past 60 days provided profiles of quiescence phenomena such as gasping and hormesis. Media acidification was assayed in parallel to assess correlation. Influences of leucine, methionine, glucose, and ammonium sulfate metabolism were clarified, and a role for lysine metabolism newly characterized, while histidine and uracil perturbations had less impact. Interactions occurred between glucose, ammonium sulfate, auxotrophy, auxotrophic nutrient limitation, aeration, TOR signaling, and/or replication stress. Weak correlation existed between media acidification and maintenance of quiescence. In summary, experimental factors, uncontrolled across previous genome-wide yeast CLS studies, influence quiescence and interact extensively, revealing quiescence as a complex metabolic and developmental process that should be studied in a prototrophic context, omitting ammonium sulfate from defined media, and employing highly replicable protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Santos
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Samantha Laflin
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Audrie Broadway
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Cosby Burnet
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Joline Hartheimer
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - John Rodgers
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Daniel L Smith
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - John L Hartman
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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22
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Lamming DW, Salmon AB. TORwards a Victory Over Aging. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020; 75:1-3. [PMID: 31544928 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glz212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dudley W Lamming
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, San Antonio
| | - Adam B Salmon
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, South Texas Veterans Healthcare System, San Antonio.,The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, Texas
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23
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Blagosklonny MV. Rapamycin for longevity: opinion article. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:8048-8067. [PMID: 31586989 PMCID: PMC6814615 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
From the dawn of civilization, humanity has dreamed of immortality. So why didn't the discovery of the anti-aging properties of mTOR inhibitors change the world forever? I will discuss several reasons, including fear of the actual and fictional side effects of rapamycin, everolimus and other clinically-approved drugs, arguing that no real side effects preclude their use as anti-aging drugs today. Furthermore, the alternative to the reversible (and avoidable) side effects of rapamycin/everolimus are the irreversible (and inevitable) effects of aging: cancer, stroke, infarction, blindness and premature death. I will also discuss why it is more dangerous not to use anti-aging drugs than to use them and how rapamycin-based drug combinations have already been implemented for potential life extension in humans. If you read this article from the very beginning to its end, you may realize that the time is now.
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