A new study by researchers at Juntendo University’s Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo has revealed that a diabetes drug can eliminate senescent cells – which accumulate with age and contribute to hardening of the arteries and other diseases – in mice.
The study was published on Thursday in the British scientific journal Nature Aging.
The group says this could pave the way for research into age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and could have potential for clinical application in human patients.
The team based their research on findings that calorie restriction extended the lifespan of monkeys and reduced the buildup of senescent cells. They investigated whether an SGLT2 inhibitor, a drug that promotes the excretion of sugar through the urine, can remove aging cells by administering it to obese mice for a week.
The results showed that the drug successfully eliminated senescent cells in the mice’s visceral fat and improved metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity. By promoting the breakdown of PD-L1, a protein that suppresses immune functions, the immune system was activated, leading to improvements in vulnerability and increased longevity.
Many drugs that target aging cells are used in the treatment of cancer and cause significant side effects, said Professor Toru Minamino, who led the research group. He emphasized the low incidence of side effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor.
“We believe this drug can be used safely in humans and plan to carefully proceed with clinical research,” he stated.
Translated by The Japan Times
