The quest to prolong life has gone on for as long as human existence itself, from the mythical Fountain of Youth to quick-fix fads like intermittent fasting, supplements and injections. But if you take a look in your medicine cabinet, you may unwittingly come across a drug that holds a key to longevity. Could that nasal spray for your stuffy nose be repurposed to reverse one or more of the processes of aging?
A team led by Northeastern University researchers say perhaps. They have found an approach to identify existing drugs that could be repurposed to affect aging, according to research published in Nature Aging on Friday.
Looking at the arsenal of drugs that are already available for new therapies is often cheaper and quicker than developing a whole new drug from scratch, according to experts.
“As someone whose hair turned gray years ago, I share the universal wish that there might one day be a pill that slows aspects of aging,” said Albert-László Barabási, Distinguished University Professor of Physics at Northeastern who oversaw the study, which was undertaken in collaboration with researchers at Harvard . “The challenge is figuring out which drugs are worth testing.”
Read more at Northeastern Global News
Illustration by Renee Zhang
