In the last decade, significant progress has been made in automating and reducing the costs of aging studies in nematode worms. Researchers can now screen thousands of compounds annually, obtaining valuable data on lifespan and aging metrics. However, interventions that boost nematode lifespan significantly may have minimal impact on longer-lived species like humans. Repurposing existing drugs with known safety profiles, such as low-dose naltrexone (LDN), offers a practical solution for addressing age-related diseases. LDN has shown promise in promoting healthy aging by extending healthspan and lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans models. This study reveals that LDN affects metabolic processes and gene expression, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for enhancing longevity.
As there is growing interest in targeting aging as a druggable process to prevent age-related illnesses, the idea of developing new drugs to target human aging faces challenges in clinical trials due to the lack of validated risk biomarkers. Repurposing drugs with good safety profiles like LDN, which has immune-modulating properties, presents a more feasible short-term strategy. With studies showing benefits in nematodes, LDN could hold promise in extending human lifespan as well.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109949
