Cancer Drug Combo Flips Aging Switch
On their own, Trametinib extended lifespan by 5 to 10 percent, while Rapamycin added 15 to 20 percent. But together, the results were far greater than either drug alone. Not only did the mice live longer, but they also stayed healthier. The combination therapy reduced chronic inflammation in the brain and body and delayed the development of cancer. These changes suggest the treatment helped the animals age more slowly and avoid common age-related diseases, the journal Nature Aging reported.
Both Rapamycin and Trametinib are already used in cancer treatment. They work by acting on different parts of a biological network called Ras/Insulin/TOR, which is deeply involved in how aging unfolds. Rapamycin is already known as a strong “geroprotector”—a type of drug that slows aging and extends lifespan. Trametinib, which targets a related pathway called Ras/MEK/ERK, hadn’t been tested in mice for lifespan effects until now, although earlier studies in flies hinted it might help.
Interestingly, when the two drugs were used together, the results weren’t just additive. The combination triggered unique changes in gene activity—effects that couldn’t be seen when the drugs were given separately. This suggests the combo interacts with aging biology in a powerful new way.
The research team is now working to refine the use of Trametinib in animal models, aiming to maximize its benefits while minimizing side effects. Since Trametinib is already approved for use in humans, this opens the door to potential clinical trials focused on healthy aging.
“Trametinib, especially in combination with Rapamycin, is a good candidate to be tested in clinical trials as a geroprotector. We hope that our results will be taken up by others and tested in humans. Our focus is on optimising the use of Trametinib in animal models,” explains Sebastian Grönke.
Co-senior author Professor Dame Linda Partridge (UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing and Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing) said: “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. Further research in humans in the years to come will help us to elucidate how these drugs may be useful to people, and who might be able to benefit.”
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