Rilmenidine extends lifespan and healthspan, mimicking effects of caloric restriction.
A new study published in Aging Cell has found that the drug rilmenidine, commonly prescribed to treat hypertension, can extend lifespan and slow aging. The findings suggest that rilmenidine can mimic the effects of caloric restriction and may be a potential anti-aging strategy. Researchers from the University of Liverpool, ETH Zürich and Harvard Medical School conducted the study, which was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, LongeCity and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
The study found that animals treated with rilmenidine at both young and older ages increased lifespan and improved health markers. The healthspan and lifespan benefits of rilmenidine treatment were mediated by the I1-imidazoline receptor nish-1, which is a potential longevity target. The drug also has potential for future translatability to humans as side-effects are rare and non-severe.
The research team, led by Professor João Pedro Magalhães from the University of Liverpool and now based at the University of Birmingham, believes that repurposing drugs capable of extending lifespan and healthspan has a huge untapped potential in translational geroscience. The study also found that rilmenidine-induced longevity required the transcription factors FOXO/DAF-16 and NRF1,2,3/SKN-1, and that autophagy, but not AMPK signaling, was needed for rilmenidine-induced longevity.
The findings of this study are promising as they suggest that rilmenidine may be able to mimic the effects of caloric restriction and delay aging in humans. However, more research is needed to further explore the potential of this drug and its effects on aging.
Overall, the study conducted by researchers from the University of Liverpool, ETH Zürich and Harvard Medical School has found that the drug rilmenidine can extend lifespan and slow aging. The findings suggest that rilmenidine can mimic the effects of caloric restriction and may be a potential anti-aging strategy, with potential for future translatability to humans as side-effects are rare and non-severe. Further research is needed to explore the potential of this drug and its effects on aging.
News Source