A groundbreaking new study has shown that combining two cancer drugs, rapamycin and trametinib, can extend the lifespan of mice by up to 30 per cent, sparking fresh optimism for the development of anti-ageing therapies in humans. Conducted by scientists at University College London (UCL) and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany, the research has been published in the journal Nature Aging.

Both rapamycin and trametinib are existing cancer medications, but they target different pathways within the body’s Ras/Insulin/TOR signalling network, a system crucial to ageing. Rapamycin, already recognised as a potent geroprotector, typically extends lifespan by 15–20 per cent, while trametinib alone provides a 5–10 per cent boost. When used together, they produced a synergistic effect, adding about 30 per cent to the mice’s lifespan.

Improvements In Health And Disease Resistance

Beyond longevity, the combination therapy significantly improved the health of the mice as they aged. Mice treated with both drugs exhibited reduced chronic inflammation in tissues and the brain and a delayed onset of cancer, a common cause of death in older rodents. hese benefits came without any additional side effects, highlighting the treatment's safety and tolerability in animal models.

The study found that the two drugs influence gene expression differently when used in combination compared to when administered individually. This novel mechanism may account for their amplified effect and underscores the potential of combining geroprotective drugs to target multiple ageing pathways at once.

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Human Implications: Cautious Optimism

Co-senior author Professor Dame Linda Partridge from UCL and the Max Planck Institute emphasised cautious optimism regarding human applications. “While we do not expect a similar extension to human lifespans as we found in mice, we hope that the drugs we’re investigating could help people to stay healthy and disease-free for longer late in life,” she said.

Partridge added that more research, including human clinical trials, will be essential to determine how these drugs might be used to benefit ageing populations safely. The findings, though early, represent a promising step forward in the field of longevity science.

With growing global interest in anti-ageing science, this study opens the door for further exploration of drug combinations that could enhance lifespan and healthspan. If successful in humans, such therapies could one day play a key role in combating age-related diseases and improving quality of life in old age.

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