University of California (UC) San Diego news release
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications have gained widespread attention for effectively treating obesity, lowering blood sugar and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some researchers have proposed that these drugs may also influence the biology of aging, but direct evidence in humans has remained limited. Now, a new study provides the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical evidence that semaglutide, a widely used GLP-1 drug, slows down the accumulation of biological aging markers in the DNA of adults with HIV. The study is published in Nature Communications.
Researchers analyzed data from a previously published clinical trial of 108 adults with HIV‑associated lipohypertrophy, a condition in which excess fat builds up around the abdomen. About half of the participants received weekly injections of semaglutide, with the rest receiving placebo injections.
The team used a set of biological “epigenetic clocks” to track cellular aging over the 32-week treatment period. These clocks detect DNA methylation, chemical marks on DNA that help regulate how genes are turned on or off without changing the genetic sequence itself. By measuring changes in these marks, the team could assess whether the treatment was associated with a slower or faster biological aging pattern.
Read the full news release here.
Source : UC San Diego
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