Sep 22, 2024
• In a new study conducted in cynomolgus monkeys, researchers have shown that metformin, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, can slow aging in multiple organs, including the brain.
• Over a three-and-a-half-year period, they found that monkeys treated with metformin showed reduced age-related decline, with some exhibiting a six-year regression in certain aging indicators.
• While the study suggests promising anti-aging benefits, there is a need for further research, including human trials, to further explore the drug’s potential.
Metformin, a drug traditionally used to treat type 2 diabetes, has garnered significant attention for its potential anti-aging effects.
Its mechanism involves improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation and promoting cellular repair processes, all important factors in aging.
In this new research, experts in China, along with U.S. colleagues, have discovered that administering the diabetes drug metformin to cynomolgus monkeys can slow aging across multiple organs, including the brain.
The study was carried out by teams from several institutions, including the Institute of Zoology and the Beijing Institute of Genomics, both part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their study, published in Celle, details the researchers’ nearly three-and-a-half-year study on the effects of metformin on the bodies of cynomolgus monkeys Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicu/aris) are a suitable model for aging studies because, like other nonhuman primates, their physiological and functional characteristics resemble those of humans.
Source: Medical News Today