Procaine as an Example of the Slow Reclassification of Known Small Molecule Drugs as Geroprotectors

The classification of "geroprotector" is fairly recent. In present use, it largely means a small molecule drug that can favorably target mechanisms known to be associated with aging. Some of these small molecules come with evidence for a slowing of aging in animal studies. A very few can boast evidence for the same from human trials. Most geroprotectors target stress response mechanisms, those involved in calorie restriction, but senotherapeutic drugs that reduce the burden of cellular senescence might also be classed as geroprotectors. That a drug can be called geroprotective is no guarantee that it is actually useful, of course. Effect size matters! Aspirin can reasonably be classified as a calorie restriction mimetic drug, and there is evidence for reduced mortality in old people that is mixed but better than that for most putative geroprotectors. We all know that aspirin isn't going to help us change the shape of a human life to any meaningful degree, and most geroprotectors are probably worse than aspirin in terms of reliability and size of effect. Just because a mechanism can be linked to a small molecule doesn't mean that the outcome in human medicine will be anything to write home about. Nonetheless, given the new classification of geroprotector, there are now growing databases of actual and potential geroprotectors, assembled from the literature where there is any evidence for interaction with areas of metabolism connected to aging, or animal or human d...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs