OTC Pain Remedy Confers Longevity

A common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen has been suggested by previous studies to exert a beneficial role for certain aging-related disorders.  Michael Polymenis, from Texas A&M AgriLife (Texas, USA), and colleagues observe that regular doses of ibuprofen extend the lifespan of common laboratory models of longevity – namely, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), worms (Caenorhabditis elegans) and fruitflies (Drosophila melanogaster).  Observing that ibuprofen interferes with the ability of yeast cells to pick up tryptophan, an essential amino acid, the study authors write that: “These results point to fundamental cell cycle signatures linked with longevity, implicate aromatic amino acid import in aging.”