By Impact Journals LLC – SciTechDaily –
These findings demonstrate that OT+A5i has a significant ability to extend health span and highlight the sex-specific differences in aging and in responses to longevity treatments.
A new study featured in the journal Aging has found that combining oxytocin with an Alk5 inhibitor (OT+A5i) can greatly improve both lifespan and healthspan in older, frail male mice. The research, led by first author Cameron Kato and corresponding author Irina M. Conboy, an Aging-US Editorial Board Member from the University of California, Berkeley, showed that this treatment offered significant rejuvenating effects in males but not in females, suggesting that biological differences between the sexes may play a crucial role in how aging therapies work.
The research team explored a two-drug strategy aimed at addressing key biological changes that occur with age. Oxytocin, a hormone that naturally decreases over time and supports tissue regeneration, was paired with an Alk5 inhibitor, a compound that suppresses the TGF-beta pathway. This pathway becomes excessively active as organisms age, fueling chronic inflammation and tissue degradation. In the experiment, frail mice at 25 months old (about 75 years in human terms) received regular doses of the OT+A5i combination.
