Key points from article :
The drug mifepristone can extend the lifespan of female fruit flies that have mated.
Mifepristone also had life-extending effects on mated roundworms called C. elegans.
Mifepristone (RU-486) is currently used to terminate early pregnancies, to treat certain types of cancer and Cushing disease.
The research team was able to block the inflammatory effects of the sex peptide in fruit flies.
Reduced inflammation and longer health and lifespans for the female flies who were given the drug.
Flies who had the drug retained healthier pathways and ultimately lived longer lives.
“Drosophila and C. elegans are equally as distant from each other as either one is distant from humans,” - Professor Tower.
Further research is now needed to build on the latest research into the use of mifepristone for life extension.
Research by the University of Southern California published in The Journals of Gerontology.
