Widely used drug for type 2 diabetes also slows down aging

A major study from scientists in China is shifting how we think about aging. The long-held belief that aging is a one-way path may no longer hold. This fresh take comes from a team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), offering new insight into how aging might not be as fixed as once thought.

Their work centers on metformin, a widely used drug for type 2 diabetes. Though common, this medication may hold uncommon promise: the ability to slow the aging process itself. Researchers believe this could eventually lead to treatments that help people live healthier, longer lives.

The study brought together leading experts in the field. Liu Guanghui and Qu Jing, both from the Institute of Zoology, teamed up with Zhang Weiqi from the Beijing Institute of Genomics.

Their findings appeared in Cell, a top-tier scientific journal. The work reflects a growing wave of curiosity about extending not just lifespan, but also healthspan.

To test metformin’s effect on aging, the team studied Cynomolgus monkeys—animals with biology much like ours. Their close genetic and physiological ties to humans make them ideal for exploring how anti-aging treatments might work. This choice gave the study real weight in the context of human health.

Over a 40-month period, the scientists tracked the monkeys’ health using a battery of advanced tools. These included medical imaging, blood tests, physiological checks, and deep tissue analysis across multiple organs. Male monkeys received metformin regularly, allowing researchers to observe any long-term changes.

The results were striking. Metformin provided clear protective effects across several vital organs. The liver, heart, lungs, and muscles all showed slower signs of aging. These findings suggest that this familiar diabetes drug may do far more than control blood sugar—it might help protect the body from age itself.

Notably, it mitigated the atrophy of the cerebral cortex, enhanced cognitive function, and slowed periodontal bone loss. This suggests that metformin may be acting directly on neurons and other cells, independent of its usual function in blood sugar regulation.

The study identified that metformin activates the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant gene expression network in the brain, delaying the effects of cellular aging. This mechanism provides a strong scientific basis for metformin’s geroprotective properties and could pave the way for future therapeutic advancements aimed at slowing down aging.

In addition to its direct impact on neurons, the researchers employed machine learning models to evaluate the overall systemic effects of metformin on aging. These models helped them build a comprehensive assessment of tissue and organ aging, allowing for precise evaluations of the drug’s benefits.

The results indicated a significant reduction in biological age markers in primates treated with metformin. DNA methylation age, transcriptome age, and plasma protein and metabolite age were all reduced. The most substantial reduction observed was equivalent to 18 human years, a striking finding that highlights metformin’s potential in delaying biological aging.

The effects of metformin were most pronounced in the frontal lobe of the brain and the liver, two areas particularly vulnerable to aging. High-precision aging clocks at the single-cell level demonstrated that the biological age of neural cells in the brain and hepatocytes in the liver was reduced by approximately five to six years.

When translated to humans, this is equivalent to about 15 to 18 years. The study’s thorough and methodical approach offers new paradigms and standards for evaluating human aging interventions.

As the researchers emphasized, the study’s implications are far-reaching. "This is a significant step forward in understanding the biology of aging," said one of the lead scientists.

It also highlights the shift in geriatric medicine from treating individual chronic conditions to addressing the aging process as a whole. This transition represents a new frontier in healthcare, one that targets the root causes of aging to improve overall health and longevity.

As human life expectancy continues to rise, the focus on aging-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular conditions, has grown. However, this study demonstrates the possibility of targeting the aging process itself, rather than merely treating its consequences.

With metformin showing such potential, future research could lead to broader applications for humans, possibly helping to reduce age-related decline and enhance the quality of life in older adults.

This research opens new doors to understanding and potentially reversing aspects of aging. By using metformin, scientists have not only expanded knowledge about cellular aging but also laid the groundwork for future therapies aimed at delaying the aging process.

This represents a major leap forward in the field of geriatric medicine, signaling a future where aging may not be an inevitable decline, but a process that can be managed and perhaps even reversed.

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