Antidepressants show effect on lifespan

Scientists have begun to understand more about the effects of ageing through experiments on the lifespan of roundworms using antidepressants.

Studies revealed mianserin elongated the “teenage” years in roundworms. The drug managed to extend early adulthood by more than 30% in the worms. This study built on research in 2007 that showed the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans almost doubled to 40 days using the same drug.

Surprising changes in the expression of genes with similar functions were noted, such as genes responsible for metabolism – expression increased in some instances and decreased in others. The researchers were able to predict the lifespan of the worm, even before it reached full maturity.

First author Sunitha Rangaraju, from the Scripps Research Institute in California said: “We now have a reliable measuring tape in our tool box to study aging. Having a new tool to study aging could help us make new discoveries, for example, to understand genetic predispositions where aging starts earlier, such as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.”

The scientists have called these changes in gene expression “transcriptional drift”. They were able to confirm this also happens in mammals after examining data from mice and humans aged 26 to 106.

Research found that using mianserin paused aging and did not reverse it. “If you add the drug early, you preserve a youthful gene expression pattern, but if you add it too late the damage is already done,” said Michael Petrascheck, lead author.

The next step for researchers is to test the effect in mice to see any potential side effects.

The researchers warn against people using the antidepressant to extend their own teenage years or early twenties as there “were millions of years of evolution between worms and humans”.

The study was published in eLIFE.