Longevity & AgingComputer-predicted anti-aging drugs hit 30% in worms, led by retinoic acid
Researchers tested 16 drugs that computer models predicted might extend lifespan, using the Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program's standardized, multi-strain, multi-site worm protocol. Five compounds (all-trans retinoic acid, berberine, fisetin, propranolol and ritonavir) extended median lifespan in C. elegans, a hit rate of about 30%. Eleven had no effect or were toxic. Retinoic acid (atRA), a vitamin A derivative already used in medicine, gave a large and reproducible extension across three C. elegans strains and three labs. Genetic tests showed its benefit needs the kinases AKT-1 and AKT-2, the stress regulators SKN-1 (Nrf2) and HSF-1, and the energy sensor AAK-2 (AMPK), but not largely FOXO/DAF-16. The work supports pairing computational prediction with nematode genetics, but the findings are in worms only.
