Key points from article :
Cdc42 is a RhoGTPase, a kind of signaling protein involved in a variety of cellular processes.
It switches between two states, an inactive form bound to GDP and an active form bound to GTP.
Increasing Cdc42 activity in young mice results in a phenotype similar to premature aging.
40 female mice (75 weeks old, about human middle-age) treated with CASIN - a Cdc42 inhibitor - for 4 days.
Established an appropriate dose to reduce Cdc42 levels without causing acute or chronic toxicity.
After treatment, the mice had the same levels of active Cdc42 as young mice.
Mice also had a higher maximum lifespan and a 10% increase in average lifespan.
Also, the mice’s epigenetic clocks had become younger than their chronological ages.
Inhibition of Cdc42 activity reduced the levels on cytokines linked with inflammation during aging.
Only the second treatment to extend lifespan when given to older mice.
Research led by Maria Carolina Florian at Ulm University published in Aging Cell journal.
