Low-cost diabetes drug can slow ageing in male monkeys : study

Why in the News?

  • A new study suggests that metformin, a low-cost diabetes drug, may slow ageing in male monkeys, particularly in their brains.
  • The study titled “Metformin decelerates ageing clock in male monkeys“ was published in the journal Cell on September 12.

Study Findings

  • Conducted by 43 researchers from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and other institutions, it shows that monkeys taking metformin daily exhibited neuronal activity similar to monkeys six years younger.
  • Researchers gave metformin to 12 elderly monkeys and observed slowed ageing in tissues and organs like lungs, kidneys, liver, skin, and brain.
  • The drug also reduced inflammation, a key ageing marker, by activating the protein NRF2.
  • Further research is required to validate metformin as an anti-ageing drug for humans.

What is Metformin?

  • Metformin is widely used for treating type 2 diabetes and has been in use since the 1950s.
  • Derived from guanidine found in the herbal medicine Goat’s Rue, it is known to have effects beyond diabetes treatment.
  • Previous studies show that metformin slows ageing in worms and rodents, but this is the first study on primates.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/defusing-the-ticking-time-bomb-called-diabetes/