A drug designed with artificial intelligence has been linked to changes in biological age markers in a small early trial. The phase 2a results for rentosertib were published on September 7 in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
What the trial did
Rentosertib is a TNIK inhibitor. TNIK is a protein enzyme found throughout the body that plays a role in cell growth and brain health. Overactive TNIK activity has been linked to some cancers, fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and metabolic disorders. The drug was created by Insilico Medicine, which used AI to identify TNIK as a target and to help design the molecule that inhibits it.
Researchers collected blood samples from 42 participants with confirmed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at different points over 12 weeks. They measured concentrations of more than 2,800 proteins and applied the results to six proteomic aging clocks: ipfP3GPT, OrganAge in two variants, the Proteomic Aging Clock, PAOPAC and ProtAge. These tools use protein patterns and machine learning to estimate biological age instead of calendar age.
Six aging clocks, one signal
At the end of the study, participants taking rentosertib showed reversal of predicted biological aging across all six models.
Experts who reviewed the findings for Medical News Today said the consistency was the interesting part. Moving several different measures of biological aging in the same direction is a stronger signal than a single clock changing.
"I see it as a promising signal that we may be getting better at measuring how treatments affect biology associated with aging, but there is not yet evidence that patients can be made biologically younger," said Dr Dung Trinh.
Experts urge caution
The participants all had a serious lung disease and were not healthy adults, which limits how far the results can be generalised. A younger score on an aging clock is also not the same as proving that aging has been reversed.
"What ultimately matters is whether patients live healthier and more functional lives," said Dr Zeeshan Khan, chief of geriatric medicine at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center. "In geriatrics, our goal isn't simply to extend one's life span, it's to extend their healthspan."
Dr Peter Gliebus of Baptist Health South Florida said AI will play a growing role in drug discovery because it can analyse biological and molecular data faster than traditional methods. He added that it will not replace physicians, scientists or rigorous clinical trials, since researchers still have to establish whether a molecule is safe and whether its benefits outweigh its risks.