A popular anti-aging therapy produced dramatic brain changes in mice.
A drug pairing often promoted in anti-aging research may come with an unexpected cost in the brain. University of Connecticut scientists report in PNAS that dasatinib+quercetin (D+Q) caused significant brain damage in mice, including the loss of myelin, the fatty covering that helps nerve cells send signals quickly and efficiently.
The finding raises an important warning for doctors considering the treatment as a preventive therapy, but it also offers a potentially useful new clue for understanding multiple sclerosis.
“When you administer this cocktail to an animal, young or old, the myelin is damaged, which makes it disappear. Even worse in the young animals” than in the aged ones, says UConn School of Medicine immunologist Stephen Crocker.
Myelin is the protective coating around nerves. Without it, nerves cannot send signals as effectively. That can lead to numbness, pain, trouble walking, and problems with memory and thinking. Loss of myelin is the main driver of multiple sclerosis. Crocker and his team found the same kind of damage in mice treated with dasatinib+quercetin (D+Q), using doses commonly studied for aging-related inflammation and metabolic disorders.
A Popular Treatment With Limited Brain Research
D+Q has become a widely studied drug combination in anti-aging research. Many studies suggest it can help remove aged cells that contribute to inflammation and other age-related problems. Researchers are testing it for conditions that include type II diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Some people interested in anti-aging also take it off-label, even though medical experts advise against that use.
