American and Russian scientists have discovered the life-prolonging property of the drug ibuprofen. The authors reported this in their article in the journal PLoS Genetics.
Ibuprofen belongs to the group of common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The main active ingredient of this product is based on propionic acid.
The drug was created in the 1960s in the UK, where it first became available by prescription. Already in the 1980s, the remedy gained worldwide distribution.
The tool has analgesic and antipyretic effects and is included in the WHO list of essential medicines.
In their study, the researchers showed that ibuprofen increased the lifespan of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), free-living nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans), and black-bellied fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster).
Organisms lived 15 percent longer after taking ibuprofen. In addition, they were healthier compared to organisms that did not access the drug. As noted by experts, in terms of per person, this may mean an increase in life expectancy for a period of ten years.
Yeast studies have shown that ibuprofen destabilizes Tat2p permeases and inhibits (slows down) the absorption of tryptophan and other aromatic acids. Loss of Tat2p leads to an increase in replicative lifespan (how many times a cell can divide).
Along with the increase in lifespan, ibuprofen slightly reduces the average cell size at birth. This leads to delays in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. It is at this stage of the cell cycle that mRNA and proteins necessary for DNA synthesis are synthesized, and it also becomes clear whether the cell will divide or enter a state of rest (G0-phase).
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“The Buck Institute is interested in researching the reasons why people get sick as they age. We believe that by understanding this, we can step in and find ways to maintain human health and slow aging. This is our ultimate goal,”said Brian Kennedy, head of the institute where the research was conducted.
Russian biologists with affiliations at the Institute of Biology of the Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar State University and Moscow University of Physics and Technology took part in the work.
On the American side, specialists from the Buck Institute in the Californian city of Novato, as well as from Texas A&M University and Washington University in Seattle are involved.
About a year ago, scientists discovered the anti-cancer properties of this drug. In the new study, the authors note, they found ibuprofen's anti-aging effects regardless of its anti-inflammatory role.
According to geneticists, given the widespread prevalence and knowledge of the drug, it remains an interesting question to further study the effect of the drug, especially in the context of identifying the properties of the cell cycle associated with longevity.