Ribavirin extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans through AMPK-TOR Signaling

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175548
• Publication Date: 2023-01-25T08:50:57Z
• Authors: Ganlan Zhang; Hui Liu; Ting Xue; Xiangming Kong; Dongmei Tian; Libo Luo; Yanhua Yang; Keqing Xu; Youheng Wei; Ziheng Zhuang
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; Longevity; Ribavirin; Animals; Humans; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Caenorhabditis elegans; 3. Good health; Signal Transduction

Aging is a process accompanied by widespread degenerative changes which are a major cause of human disease and disability. One goal of aging research is to develop interventions or drugs that can extend organism lifespan and treat age-related diseases. Here, we report the identification of a broad spectrum anti-viral agent, ribavirin, as a potential pharmacological aging intervention. Ribavirin extended the lifespan and healthspan of Caenorhabditis elegans by inhibiting Target of Rapamycin (TOR) signaling and activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Moreover, our data indicate that ribavirin activated AMPK by reducing the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and lysosomal v-ATPase-Ragulator-AXIN Complex. Thus, our studies successfully identify ribavirin as a potential anti-aging drug, and indicate that its anti-aging effect is mediated via AMPK-TOR signaling.