Potential Risks of Anti-Aging Drug Combo: Severe Brain Damage in Mice
A widely-studied anti-aging drug combination may have a dangerous downside, according to groundbreaking research published today. Scientists at the University of Connecticut discovered that the popular drug pairing dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q) caused severe brain damage in mice, raising serious concerns about its growing use in longevity research and off-label therapies.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed that the treatment damaged myelin—the protective coating around nerve fibers that enables efficient signal transmission throughout the brain and body. “When you administer this cocktail to an animal, young or old, the myelin is damaged, which makes it disappear,” explains UConn School of Medicine immunologist Stephen Crocker. The damage was even more severe in younger animals.
D+Q has become one of the most investigated drug combinations in anti-aging research, explored for conditions including:
- Type II diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease
However, the findings show myelin loss can lead to:
- Numbness
- Pain
- Difficulty walking
- Memory problems—symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis
Despite warnings from medical professionals, some longevity enthusiasts have experimented with these drugs on their own.
Source: ScienceDaily