輸入小麦、政府売り渡し価格12%引き上げ 円安、輸送費高騰で

Recent research has shown that the older mice treated with the drug semaglutide, a component of obesity and diabetes treatment, experienced a 12% increase in lifespan. However, this is not the first study to demonstrate the anti-aging potential of GLP-1 class drugs. Last year, a similar drug called exanetida improved the strength and aging indicators of old mice without significantly reducing body weight.

The latest study focused on changes in survival duration, while the previous one examined how GLP-1 drugs affect the overall aging process of the body, especially excluding the impact of weight loss. The study revealed that even after excluding the effect of weight reduction, the brains of older mice treated with semaglutide showed improved grip strength when grasping objects and better balance on a rotating rod.

These improvements were rarely seen in younger mice. The results suggest that semaglutide may have partially restored strength and motor function that deteriorated due to aging. However, the study only showed that the drug could enhance normal functions rather than recover lost functions. The findings were supported by the analysis of brain, heart, muscle, colon, fat tissue, and blood cells, revealing changes in gene activity and metabolism in various organs.

As people age, the way genes function changes in different organs, with inflammation rising and energy production and the ability to handle damaged proteins and waste decreasing. The genetic expression of genes related to aging, brain region, heart, skeletal muscle, colon, and blood cells changed, moving in the opposite direction compared to younger mice.

Some gene activity returned to the level of younger mice. The study also revealed improvements in several genes related to cell aging, inflammation, and the process of removing damaged cellular components. However, not all organs showed the same results. The colon and liver showed no consistent effect, while the liver and kidneys had opposite reactions.

One notable aspect of the study is the second experiment, which confirmed the connection between the brain and the body. The researchers reduced GLP-1 receptor expression in the hippocampus of 18-month-old mice by 50% and then administered semaglutide. The hippocampus is a brain region that regulates appetite, body temperature, hormones, and energy use, maintaining body balance.

By reducing GLP-1 receptors in the hippocampus, the effect of semaglutide on improving gene activity and DNA changes in the prefrontal cortex, heart, skeletal muscle, and blood cells related to aging was weakened or disappeared. This suggests that semaglutide does not act uniformly on all organs but rather sends signals to the brain to regulate overall metabolism and aging processes.

However, the improvement in spatial learning and memory in the labyrinth test was not significantly different between the semaglutide group and the control group. The study also did not exclude the effect of reduced food intake and weight loss, making it difficult to determine whether the increased lifespan was directly caused by the drug or the reduction in food intake and weight.

The researchers emphasized that conclusions about the impact of GLP-1 drugs on aging in humans cannot be drawn without further investigation in humans, especially for healthy or lean elderly individuals. Using GLP-1 drugs for anti-aging purposes is not recommended for healthy or thin elderly people due to the risk of muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies.

Longevity studies in humans require further investigation through large-scale clinical trials and real-world evidence.