scientist have found evidence in yield fly that abortion pill — a drug usually used to stimulate abortion — can potentially have anti - aging force , though further research in humans is required to confirm these findings .
Mifepristoneis a synthetic steroid hormone that ’s long been used safely in human race for various conditions . While it ’s most famously part of the two - drug combining used to perform a medical abortion early in pregnancy , abortion pill has also been used to handle endometritis , uterine fibroids , and high blood sugar in people with Cushing ’s disease . Because some inquiry has suggested that the drug can nullify the effects of aging in fruit fly ( the genusDrosophila ) , the scientist behind this newfangled study want to look a bit deep into the theme .
The University of Southern California scientist directly compared the effects of mifepristone on female fruit fly ball with another drug that has shown anti - aging potential , the immunosuppressant rapamycin . They found that both drugs call for one by one improved the flies ’ longevity , though mifepristone perform a bit well , extending the fly front ’ lifetime by a median 114 % compared to 81 % for rapamycin .
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However , when both drug were used together on the flies , the flies really went on to have a slightly lower lifetime than normal — indicating that the drugs cultivate in a very similar way to boost longevity , the research worker say . The squad ’s other experimentation suggest that both drugs do this by improving the cells ’ ability to houseclean up their damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria , also love as mitophagy . Mitochondria produce most of a cell ’s energy , and as animals get onetime ( humans included ) , their bodies get worse at this cleaning - up outgrowth , which then seems to chip in to the many adverse wellness effects of aging .
“ The data indicate that mifepristone and rapamycin act through a common nerve pathway to increase mated femaleDrosophilalife dyad , ” the researchers wrote in their paper , publishedthis month in the journalFly .
Of course , yield flies are not humans , so it ’s not certain yet whether the same anti - aging effects can translate over to us . Some studies havefound evidence in humansthat rapamycin can amend markers of aging , though , and the drug is already being test inclinical trials . Because mifepristone is both comparatively tawdry and has a foresighted track record of safety , there should also be fewer logistical hurdle for scientists to clear in testing its potential anti - aging effects in people . And the deterrent example that scientist carry on to see from study both treatments could even perhaps lead to the find and development of other drugs that retard age by improve the health of our cells ’ mitochondria .
Mifepristone and rapamycin are n’t the only elder medication being newly studied for their anti - senescent effects either . A bailiwick just last monthfound evidencein mess around that the diabetes and weight departure drug Glucophage may able-bodied to stretch out the longevity and health of our age brains and liver .
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