A promising anti-aging drug combination, dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q), may cause serious brain damage, according to a new study from the University of Connecticut. The research, published in PNAS, found that D+Q damaged the myelin insulation wrapped around nerve fibers in the brains of mice.
Part of the corpus callosum affected by the D+Q medication. (Crocker Lab/UConn School of Medicine)
The damage was particularly pronounced in a major information highway called the corpus callosum. Immunologist Stephen Crocker noted the effect was even worse in young animals. Lab tests suggest the drugs cause oligodendrocytes-cells that maintain myelin-to shrink and become less functional.
Cross sections of mouse brain tissue showing less myelin after D+Q treatment. (Crocker Lab/UConn School of Medicine)
Clinical trials for D+Q are already underway for kidney disease and pulmonary fibrosis, and some individuals are using it off-prescription as an unofficial anti-aging regime. The researchers urge caution, emphasizing the need for more safety testing. However, they noted the damaged cells are similar to those seen in multiple sclerosis patients, suggesting D+Q could be used to study potential treatments for that condition.