The experimental drug combination dasatinib and quercetin (abbreviated D+Q) is one of the most promising anti-aging therapies currently in development.
The drug is not yet approved for human use, but some scientists believe it could potentially fight disease by improving how our bodies remove worn-out cells.
However, according to new research, there may be serious problems with D+Q.
A team of researchers from the University of Connecticut conducted experiments using D+Q on the brains of mice and found that the substance caused severe damage to the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers.
The effects of D+Q on the central nervous system have not been extensively studied before, which was one of the reasons for conducting this new study.
The obtained results call into question the appropriateness of their wide clinical use.
Portion of the corpus callosum (indicated by the dotted line) affected by D+Q. (Crocker Laboratory/University of Connecticut School of Medicine)
Various clinical trials of D+Q are currently underway to treat conditions such as kidney disease and pulmonary fibrosis.
Due to the excitement, some people are even taking the experimental drug combination without a prescription, as part of an unofficial "anti-aging" program.
Healthcare professionals caution against this because the drug combinations have not yet been properly tested for safety and effectiveness in humans.
«"When you inject this cocktail into an animal, young or old, it damages the myelin, causing it to disappear—even more so in young animals than in old animals," says immunologist Stephen Crocker.
There are similarities between the brain damage seen here and the effects of multiple sclerosis, as well as so-called "chemotherapy brain," in which chemotherapy leads to problems with cognitive function.
Dasatinib itself is an important drug used to treat cancer, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy, which may help explain the cause of myelin loss.
When myelin is destroyed, nerves cannot transmit information effectively, and much of the damage observed in the mouse brains was concentrated around a vital information highway called the corpus callosum.
Cross-sections of mouse brain tissue showing decreased myelin (dark rings) following D+Q treatment. (Crocker Laboratory/University of Connecticut School of Medicine)
Further laboratory studies analyzed the nature of the interaction between D+Q and brain cells called oligodendrocytes, which promote the growth and maintenance of myelin.
The studies showed that the combination drug treatment appeared to reduce the size of the oligodendrocytes and return them to a smaller, more youthful state.
Changes also occurred in oligodendrocyte metabolism, which prevented sufficient myelin formation and left the nerves unprotected.
Although these results were obtained only in a small number of animals and not humans, they are certainly a cause for serious concern.
Further research is clearly needed at this time – for example, monitoring brain cells during clinical trials of D+Q.
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«"We suspect that the drugs block the energy that cells need, and the cells respond by reducing their complexity, returning to a more youthful state, but in the process losing functionality," Crocker says.
What makes D+Q interesting to scientists is that they act as senolytics – drugs that specifically remove damaged or old cells.
These dysfunctional cells, known as senescent cells, accumulate with age. Their presence in the body causes inflammation, which may be associated with a number of different diseases, including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.
If senolytics like D+Q can reduce the number of senescent cells, their potential impact on anti-aging in a variety of diseases is enormous.
The aging process is linked to many aspects of health, which is why so much research is devoted to trying to slow it down.
But before this becomes a reality, there is still much work to be done.
Based on these new data, caution is warranted going forward.
However, there are some positive aspects to be taken from this mouse study.
Stressed but still living oligodendrocytes are similar to cells seen in patients with multiple sclerosis.
This means that D+Q can be used in laboratory tests to determine which treatments may be most effective in repairing some of the damage caused by an autoimmune disease.
See also: These popular supplements are marketed with claims of anti-aging benefits. Here's what the science says.
«"If we can replicate this, we have a fantastic opportunity to see whether cells can regenerate and repair the brain," Crocker says.
The results of the study were published in PNAS journal .
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