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Biological Sciences Invited Symposium

Biological Sciences

Repurposed for Aging

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM PST
Location: Room 4C-3
CE: 1.5

Chronic diseases represent the leading driver of health care cost, with detrimental impact on function, independence, and quality of life in the aging society. Geroscience-guided approaches seek to target aging biology to extend healthspan, defined as the period of life spent without major disease and disability. Repurposing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - approved drugs as gerotherapeutics (geroscience-guided pharmacologic interventions) offers the advantage of known pharmacologic profile and existing clinical experience and can represent a cost-effective strategy to test interventions for extension of healthspan. Among FDA-approved drugs, candidates with geroscience potential can be identified based on the evidence of extension of healthspan and lifespan in model organisms coupled with clinical evidence of benefits extending beyond the diseases targeted by the drug, through mechanisms that involve modulation of hallmarks of aging. Given the inseparable connections between metabolism and aging, it is not surprising that several FDA-approved drugs developed for treatment of metabolic dysfunction are emerging as potential gerotherapeutics. Metformin (discussed by Dr. Sara Espinoza), a widely used oral antidiabetic drug, extends lifespan in preclinical models, while observational clinical evidence supports its role in prevention of several chronic diseases. Two newer antidiabetic drug classes, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonists (discussed by Dr. John Newman) and sodium- glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors (discussed by Dr. Carolina Solis-Herrera), have demonstrated healthspan and lifespan benefits above and beyond treatment of diabetes. Emerging evidence for modulation of multiple hallmarks of aging supports gerotherapeutic properties of these drugs. Clinical trials targeting several aging-relevant outcomes are underway.

Learning Objectives:

  • Review strategies for identifying drugs with a potential for gerotherapeutic repurposing.
  • Discuss evidence in support of gerotherapeutic potential of metformin, SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists

Presentations:

  • 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM PST
    Metformin as a Potential Pharmacologic Intervention to Improve Healthspan

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Sara Espinoza, MD (she/her/hers) – Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

  • 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM PST
    Repurposing Sodium-glucose Co-transporter-2 Inhibitors for Gerotherapy

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Carolina Solis-Herrera, MD – University of Texas

  • 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM PST
    Assessing Gerotherapeutic Potential of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: John C. Newman, MD, PhD (he/him/his) – Buck Institute for Research on Aging