Science & Medicine: Anti-ageing drug shows promise in marmosets

Aging is something we all face. As we grow older, our bodies and minds change in many different ways.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the U.S. population aged 65 and older has reached 55.8 million, an increase of 38.6% in just 10 years.

Dr. Adam Salmon is a thought leader in the biology of ageing and is Associate Director of the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Ageing Research.

“Imagine a place where we could live as long as we should. We know that humans can live to a little over 100 years old,” Salmon says. “If we could stay healthy for that period of time until we die, that would be amazing and would revolutionize our understanding of health care.”

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Salmon Research Aging in marmosets. with him His team recently concluded that an immunosuppressant drug called rapamycin extends the lifespan of marmosets.

Salmon and his team believe this is a significant discovery.

“This is the first non-human primate study to show lifespan extension through a drug intervention,” he said.

These marmosets have an increased life span, and if they remain relatively healthy as they age, we can learn a lot from how they die.

“So these animals are living long lives,” Salmon says, “and they remain relatively healthy, and when they die we’re doing a full pathology study to see what the distribution of disease is with age and how that changes with rapamycin treatment.”

Salmon’s ultimate goal is to help patients stay healthier as they age.

For Salmon and his team, patients should not be at risk for disease simply because they are older: “By understanding the biological concepts of aging, we believe we can develop new treatments for people with these diseases,” Salmon said.

For Salmon, prevention is the ultimate cure. But as we age, health problems also arise. Still, his research offers hope: “Maybe we can improve outcomes so that entire populations can live longer, healthier lives.”