We are discovering how a natural breast therapy product extends lifespan and health span
10.07.2024
A research group from the University of Padua and the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), in collaboration with the Institute of Oncological Research (IOR, affiliated to USI and member of Bios+), has made a significant discovery, identifying a new anti-aging therapy. The study "Targeting senescence induced by age or chemotherapy by a polyphenol-rich natural extract extends lifespan and healthspan in mice" is published in the prestigious journal, Nature Aging.
Aging is an important risk factor for the development of numerous neurodegenerative, muscular, metabolic, and tumor diseases. Rather than treating individual conditions, or their symptoms, a new paradigm has emerged that aims to directly target the causes of aging, at the cellular and molecular level. Among the possible therapeutic approaches is that of specifically targeting senescent cells. Cellular senescence is indeed characterized by an irreversible arrest of cellular growth, together with the release of inflammatory factors collectively referred to as SASP (senescence-associated secretory phenotype) that contribute to age-related tissue dysfunction.
Natural products, such as botanical extracts, represent a resource of thousands of molecules from which to identify new "breast-therapeutic" agents, i.e. therapeutic agents capable of reducing senescent cells or modulating their secretome. In this context, a study conducted by a group of scientists led by Andrea Alimonti, professor of the Department of Medicine of the University of Padua and Principal Investigator at IOR and VIMM, and by Monica Montopoli, professor of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Padua and Associate Investigator at VIMM, have identified a breast phytotherapeutic complex that increases lifespan and its quality.
“Preclinical studies show that daily oral administration of a standardized extract of Salvia haenkei (Haenkenium, HK) extended the lifespan and health span of naturally aged mice – says Prof. Alimonti -. The study involved treatment with HK extract dissolved in water. This treatment in preclinical studies significantly increased the survival of animals compared to untreated animals, with significantly improved aging parameters."
"Results are due to a careful process of extraction, characterization, and standardized titration which allows for reproducibility, an essential part of biological effects,” explains Professor Montopoli.
“Our in vitro and in vivo data indicate that Haenkenium is one of the most powerful breast therapeutics. It is superior to products, such as resveratrol or quercetin,” concludes Alimonti.
“We observed an improvement in aging parameters across different tissues,” explains Sara Zumerle and Miles Sarill, the first authors of the study and researchers at the University of Padua and VIMM.
Treatment with HK significantly decreased some age-related symptoms of the muscles, kidneys, skin, and lungs of aged mice. Markers of cellular senescence in the analyzed tissues had reduced. Chemotherapy-induced senescence, caused by treatment with doxorubicin, an anticancer drug known for its side effects, was also mitigated by HK treatment."
In many Western countries, characterized by low birth rates, the growing number of elderly individuals represents a burden on the healthcare system. Therefore, it is necessary to discover safe and effective therapies to improve not only lifespan but healthy lifespan.
The goal is to develop safe and effective therapies that target the biological processes at the root of age-related disorders, rather than just their symptoms. Natural products constitute a rich and invaluable source for discovering new therapeutic approaches.
