“Impact of Genetic Background and Experimental Reproducibility on Identifying Chemical Compounds With Robust Longevity Effects”, 2017-02-21 (; backlinks; similar):
Limiting the debilitating consequences of aging is a major medical challenge of our time. Robust pharmacological interventions that promote healthy aging across diverse genetic backgrounds may engage conserved longevity pathways.
Here we report results from the Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program in assessing longevity variation across 22 Caenorhabditis strains spanning 3 species, using multiple replicates collected across 3 independent laboratories. Reproducibility between test sites is high, whereas individual trial reproducibility is relatively low.
Of 10 pro-longevity chemicals tested, 6 statistically-significantly extend lifespan in at least one strain. 3 reported dietary restriction mimetics are mainly effective across C. elegans strains, indicating species and strain-specific responses. In contrast, the amyloid dye ThioflavinT is both potent and robust across the strains.
Our results highlight promising pharmacological leads and demonstrate the importance of assessing lifespans of discrete cohorts across repeat studies to capture biological variation in the search for reproducible aging interventions.