Development of geroprotectors for frailty and multimorbidity
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of geroprotectors for frailty and multimorbidity
IRAS ID
261097
Contact name
Ilaria Bellantuono
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Childrens NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The number of people over the age of 65 is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Older people often present with more than one disease at the same time (multimorbidity) or with an accumulation of deficits leading to inability to recover from minor adverse events (frailty). These are the main factors responsible for a decrease in quality of life and an increase in healthcare-related costs. Current treatments are single disease focused and are less effective in the presence of multimorbidity, with increased side effects due to polypharmacy. There is an urgent need to identify interventions that offer a more holistic approach to treating frailty and multimorbidity
Geroprotectors are a new class of drugs which targets mechanisms of ageing such as DNA damage repair and senescence. In animal models they have been shown to improve healthspan in multiple tissues, delay the onset and severity of multiple age-related diseases such as, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, reduce frailty and improve glucose tolerance. Therefore, they holds promise to prevent the onset of multimorbidity and frailty.
In our previous work we have used human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as an in vitro model to study cellular ageing and identify pharmacological agents promoting healthspan in multiple tissues. MSC can differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes and support haematopoiesis. Our previous work showed that they age both in vitro and in vivo and they lose proliferative and differentiation capacity with age. This can be delayed by the use of geroprotectors such as zoledronate, one of the molecule we have worked on in our previous programme of work. With this programme we want to build on this to identify new more powerful molecules and their mechanisms to reduce the onset and severity of frailty and multimorbidity.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SW/0195
Date of REC Opinion
11 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion