New compounds could reverse ageing
Researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK have developed new compounds that could reverse key aspects of the ageing of human cells, which could be the basis for a new generation of anti-degeneration drugs. The team tested compounds designed to target mitochondria, in a laboratory study of endothelial cells. They found that the number of older cells that have deteriorated and stopped dividing (senescent cells) was reduced by up to half.
“As human bodies age, they accumulate old (senescent) cells that do not function as well as younger cells,” said Professor Lorna Harries, of the University of Exeter Medical School. “This is not just an effect of ageing – it's a reason why we age. The compounds developed at Exeter have the potential to tweak the mechanisms by which this ageing of cells happens. We used to think age-related diseases like cancer, dementia and diabetes each had a unique cause, but they actually track back to one or two common mechanisms. This research focuses on one of these mechanisms, and the findings with our compounds have potentially opened up the way for new therapeutic approaches in the future. This may well be the basis for a new generation of anti-degenerative drugs.”
The compounds tested in the research – AP39, AP123 and RT01 – were designed by the Exeter team to selectively deliver small quantities of the gas hydrogen sulphide to the mitochondria in cells and help the old or damaged cells to generate the 'energy' they need to survive and to reduce senescence. “Our compounds provide mitochondria in cells with an alternative fuel to help them function properly,” said Professor Matt Whiteman, also from the University of Exeter. “Many disease states can essentially be viewed as accelerated ageing, and keeping mitochondria healthy helps either prevent or, in many cases using animal models, reverse this. Our current study shows that splicing factors play a key role in determining how our compounds work.”