An experimental drug designed with the help of artificial intelligence to treat a severe lung disease has produced an unexpected result: blood tests indicated that the patients who received it appeared biologically younger.
The substance, called rentosertib, is being tested for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that progressively affects the lungs. However, the result does not mean that the patients have actually become younger or that the drug will extend their lives.
The discovery is presented by New York Times, based on a study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. The analysis included only 42 individuals and lasted 12 weeks, so researchers urge caution.
What the researchers discovered
Rentosertib was initially tested in a study involving 71 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Some received different doses of the drug, while others were given a placebo.
For the new analysis, researchers used blood samples collected from 42 participants, with an average age of 67. They analyzed them using six "biological clocks" - mathematical models that estimate the body's age based on certain protein levels.
These models cannot predict a person's lifespan, but they can show whether their body appears younger or older than their official age.
All six "clocks" showed that patients treated with rentosertib appeared biologically younger than those who received the placebo. The strongest effect was observed after four weeks, when most models indicated a decrease in the estimated biological age by about three years. One of them calculated a difference of up to six years.
How artificial intelligence was used
Rentosertib was not created by artificial intelligence without the intervention of human scientists. Insilico Medicine used AI to identify a potential therapeutic target and to design a molecule to act on it.
The chosen target is a protein involved in both lung tissue damage and some processes associated with aging.
The drug was primarily developed for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This disease causes gradual and irreversible scarring of the lungs, making breathing increasingly difficult and cannot be cured with existing treatments.
An effect on aging or just on the disease?
The study cannot yet provide a definitive answer. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis alters numerous blood proteins, the exact indicators used to estimate biological age. Therefore, the "rejuvenation" observed may be just the effect of disease improvement.
However, there is a hint that the drug may also influence some processes associated with aging. The dose that most helped the lungs was not the same as the one that produced the greatest decrease in biological age. If the "rejuvenation" in the analysis were merely a result of disease improvement, the two effects should have theoretically occurred at the same dose.
For confirmation, rentosertib will need to be tested in larger studies, including on individuals without idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Rentosertib has shown promising results on lung function as well, but the study primarily focused on treatment safety and included few patients. The drug has now entered the third phase of testing for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, where its effectiveness and safety will be evaluated on a larger number of individuals.
Why it's too early for conclusions
The new study was conducted on a small number of patients, all suffering from the same disease, and the monitoring period was only three months. Additionally, some of the researchers work for the company developing the drug.
The "biological clocks" are research tools, not proof that the aging process has been reversed. They only show that certain blood changes resemble those typically found in younger individuals.
Subsequent studies will need to demonstrate whether the drug is effective and safe for treating the disease. Its potential effect on aging will require separate research.
G.P.