Researchers at UT Health San Antonio, in conjunction with Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, are planning a clinical trial investigating the possibility of reducing biological aging symptoms using three drugs currently on the market. While the drugs rapamycin, dapagliflozin and semaglutide were not initially designed to slow aging, researchers believe that if used together, they could have “healthspan” effects.
The Validation and Intervention Testing for Aging, Longevity and Healthspan trial is expected to run for three years, with additional in-person check-ins every six months to periodic telemedicine evaluations. The VITAL-H trial has a sample size of 726 participants, consisting of adults between the ages of 60 and 65 who do not have serious, uncontrolled medical conditions.
Doctor Andrew Brack told Texas Public Radio the reason for the trial is to determine if the drug combination is able to prevent disease before it begins in a patient. The trial is currently waiting for the Institutional Review Board to approve its experimental methods.
In the same Texas Public Radio interview, Elena Volpi, Ph.D, explained that aging related research often does not get funded because the drugs under investigation are generic, removing the financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies. However, the VITAL-H trial has been able to progress due to funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which contributed $38 million. ARPA-H is a federal organization that funds biomedical research that would otherwise be overlooked by commercial interests.
The trial plans to use intrinsic capacity, a holistic method for evaluating health. This method of health tracking allows the research team to monitor the various aspects of the participants’ health. These aspects include their physical mobility, cognition, nutrition, sensory sensitivity and psychological health, which will be measured through a combination of screenings, self-reports and tests.
Rapamycin is an immunosuppressant drug typically used on patients undergoing kidney or other transplants. It has also been approved for use in cases where tumors block blood vessels in the lungs. On a chemical level, it inhibits the mTOR enzyme, which plays a role in regulating cell growth and metabolism, allowing cells to spend more energy on repair processes. Previous research found that rapamycin can extend the life spans of worms, flies and mice by reducing their metabolisms and therefore reducing damaging oxidative stress.
Researchers plan to use rapamycin in low doses to take advantage of the anti-inflammatory properties of the drug without the full immunosuppressant effect. GLP-1 inhibitors have significantly increased in popularity in recent years due to their weight loss properties. For this study, researchers will be using the GLP-1 inhibitor semaglutide, which was specifically chosen due to the wide range of areas it affects. While the full scope of GLP-1 inhibitor effects is still under investigation, their ability to improve the health of different organs has been well documented and is being leveraged in this experiment to increase healthspan.
Dapagliflozin is a diabetes medication that lowers blood sugar independent of insulin, causing excess glucose to be excreted as urine. Similar to rapamycin, research has shown that it has wide ranging effects that improve organ health and healthspan.
The researchers at the UT San Antonio Sam and Ann Barshop Institute are focusing on the ability of generic, Food and Drug Administration approved medications to extend healthspan.
