The Interventions Testing Program (ITP) of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) has accepted a proposed research plan to study the lifespan-extending effects of glucosamine.
Isao Shimokawa (SAGL, LLC.), Takahiro Hayashida (Hayashida Financial Management)
The study of substances that delay aging and extend healthy lifespan is an essential topic in basic aging research, and the NIA-ITP annually solicits proposals from outside researchers to identify substances that extend the lifespan and healthy lifespan of mice. Once an applicant's proposal is accepted, applicants work as co-investigators for the longevity study. Trials have been conducted on genetically heterogeneous mice at three sites in the U.S. (The Jackson Laboratory, University of Michigan, and University of Texas at San Antonio). Since early 2000, lifespan studies have been completed on approximately 40 compounds, drugs, and hormones. Among them, one example that has shown a significant life-extending effect is rapamycin. Based on the results of this study, research on mechanisms of aging retardation and lifespan extension was quickly advanced. Previously noted resveratrol, curcumin, and extracts of green tea did not show significant lifespan-extending effects (1).
Last February, Dr. Takahiro Hayashida, President of Hayashida Financial Management and a financial sponsor of SAGL, LLC, submitted a proposal to the NIA-ITP earlier this year as the principal applicant for a study on the life-extending effects of glucosamine. Dr. Isao Shimokawa of SAGL also joined the proposal as a co-applicant. Fortunately, the project was accepted, and preliminary experiments will begin soon in the U.S. Two groups in the U.S. and abroad have also submitted proposals, so this will be a joint research project of three groups, including ours.
Glucosamine is available in Japan and other countries as a dietary supplement to relieve symptoms of joint diseases. Although its effects on joint diseases are skeptical, since about ten years ago, there have been scattered clinical epidemiological reports in Europe and the U.S. suggesting that patients taking glucosamine may have a longer life span than controls (2-4). A few data have also been reported in nematodes and mice, suggesting a lifespan-extending effect (5, 6). However, such data are limited by the scale and methods of the studies. We proposed the NIA-ITP project to study the effect of glucosamine in extending the lifespan of mice and its appropriate dosage and duration of administration.
It has been suggested that glucosamine may act on the intestinal microflora and exhibit anti-inflammatory effects, inhibiting the glycolytic system, inducing autophagy, etc. If the mouse lifespan study verifies the significant effects of glucosamine in the NIA-ITP, basic research on the regulation of aging will advance further.
*Note: This news does not recommend taking glucosamine as a dietary supplement. More clinical and basic research is needed to determine its effects on human aging and lifespan.
References
1. https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dab/interventions-testing-program-itp/supported-interventions
2. Bell GA, Kantor ED, Lampe JW, Shen DD, White E. Use of glucosamine and chondroitin in relation to mortality. Eur J Epidemiol. 2012;27(8):593-603.
3. Li ZH, Gao X, Chung VC, Zhong WF, Fu Q, Lv YB, et al. Associations of regular glucosamine use with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a large prospective cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020;79(6):829-36.
4. King DE, Xiang J. Glucosamine/chondroitin and mortality in a US NHANES cohort. J Am Board Fam Med. 2020;33(6):842-7.
5. Shintani T, Kosuge Y, Ashida H. Glucosamine extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans via autophagy induction. J Appl Glycosci (1999). 2018;65(3):37-43.
6. Weimer S, Priebs J, Kuhlow D, Groth M, Priebe S, Mansfeld J, et al. D-Glucosamine supplementation extends life span of nematodes and of ageing mice. Nat Commun. 2014;5:3563.
