Drug commonly used to treat bipolar disorder
dramatically increases lifespan in worms
Buck Institute study involves lithium.
Nematode worms treated with lithium show a 46 percent increase in
lifespan, raising the tantalizing question of whether humans taking the
mood affecting drug are also taking an anti-aging medication. Results of
the Buck Institute study, led by faculty member Gordon J. Lithgow, PhD,
are currently published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Lithium has been used to treat mood affective disorders, including
bipolar disease for decades. While the drug has been shown to protect
neurons, the underlying mechanism of its therapeutic action is not
understood. In humans, lithium�s therapeutic range is very limited and
the drug has serious side effects. The research provides a novel
genetic approach to understanding how lithium works and highlights the
utility of using the nematode C. elegans as a research subject in the
field of �pharmacogenetics�. Pharmocogenetics involves the study of
genetic factors that influence an organism�s reaction to a drug.
In the study, scientists discovered that longevity was increased in
the worms when the lithium �turned down� the activity of a gene that
modulates the basic structure of chromosomes.
Lithgow believes that lithium impacts many genes. �Understanding the
genetic impact of lithium may allow us to engineer a therapy that has
the same lifespan extending benefits,� said Lithgow. �One of the
larger questions is whether the lifespan extending benefits of the
drug are directly related to the fact that lithium protects neurons.�
The process of normal aging in humans is intrinsically linked to the
onset of neurodegenerative disease. However, the cellular changes and
events due to aging that impact neurodegeneration are not yet
understood said Lithgow. Studies involving compounds such as lithium
could provide breakthroughs in the attempt to understand the
biomedical link between aging and disease. Lithgow and his lab are now
surveying tens of thousands of compounds for affects on aging.
The study highlights the efficacy of using C. elegans as a new way of
studying drug toxicity and genetic impacts of compounds currently in
drug development or already in use in humans. �The use of simple model
organisms with well developed genetic tools can speed the
identification of molecular targets,� said Lithgow. �This could
facilitate the development of improved therapies for diseases.�
Further Information and Source:
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Gawain McColl, David W. Killilea, Alan E. Hubbard, Maithili C. Vantipalli, Simon Melov, and Gordon J. Lithgow: Pharmacogenetic analysis of lithium-induced delayed aging in
Caenorhabditis elegans.
In: Journal of Biological Chemistry;
J. Biol. Chem, doi 10.1074/jbc.M705028200
The Buck Institute is an independent non-profit
organization dedicated to extending the healthspan, the healthy
years of each individual�s life. The National Institute on Aging
designated the Buck a Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the
Biology of Aging, one of just five centers in the country. Buck
Institute scientists work in an innovative, interdisciplinary
setting to understand the mechanisms of aging and to discover new
ways of detecting, preventing and treating age-related diseases such
as Alzheimer�s and Parkinson�s disease, cancer, stroke, and
arthritis. Collaborative research at the Institute is supported by
genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics technology.
