A New Protocol to Discover Novel Anti-Aging Compounds

Abstract

Several natural and chemical compounds have been suggested to have effects as anti-aging drugs. For example, caloric restriction (CR) mimetics trans-resveratrol (Rsv) and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) are candidate compounds that can elongate life span of organisms, and they might also have roles in the regulation of telomere maintenance and mitochondrial functions. Recently, pharmaceutical medicaments rapamycin, an immunosuppressant and metformin, a medicine for diabetes, have been shown to act on the insulin/IGF1 signaling pathway. Therefore, they are also expected to have anti-aging effects. Here we propose a new protocol to discover novel compounds that can be used as a remedy to slow senescence and control aging in the aspect of promoter activities of telomere and energy metabolism-regulating factor encoding genes.

Life Extension

“…A growing body of studies indicates that epigenetic changes which are associated with age may be beneficially affected by several lifestyle factors, such as diet or exercise. Several compounds, both chemical and natural, have been also proposed recently to positively affect aging and longevity including those presumably based on the fine-tuning of epigenetic regulation (Uchiumi et al 2012). Among such epigenetically-targeted pro-longevity drugs, HDACIs are currently in focus of scientific interest.…”