A drug being developed to treat a serious lung disease may also help to slow the aging process, researchers say.

In a small clinical study, patients who took rentosertib – developed by Insilico Medicine in Massachusetts – showed changes in blood proteins that made them appear biologically younger.

Several tests estimated that after treatment, the patients were biologically about three to four years younger.

EATING COMMON DAIRY FOOD EVERY DAY MAY SLOW BIOLOGICAL AGING, STUDY SUGGESTS

“There is a promising trend in age reversal in addition to treating the disease, and it came as a bonus for disease treatment,” first author Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, founder and co-CEO of Insilico Medicine, told Fox News Digital.

“It basically means that you are predicted to be younger using a validated set of aging clocks. We don’t know what that means yet.”

The results were published in Nature Biotechnology and presented Monday at the Nature conference at Sorbonne University in Paris.

ALZHEIMER’S BLOOD TESTS MAY PREDICT SYMPTOMS YEARS IN ADVANCE, BUT EXPERTS URGE CAUTION

The researchers caution, however, that this does not yet prove the drug can actually reverse aging or help people live longer.

“It’s early days,” Zhavoronkov noted. “The drug is still investigational.”

What is rentosertib?

Rentosertib is an experimental drug, discovered with the help of artificial intelligence, that is being developed to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a serious disease that causes scarring in the lungs.

In an unexpected outcome, the drug was found to change patterns of proteins in the blood in ways that made patients appear an average of three to four years younger, in one case up to six years.

Six different aging tests showed the same general pattern, with patients who took rentosertib “scoring” biologically younger than those who received a placebo.

The strongest effect was seen after four weeks in patients taking 30 mg of the drug twice a day.

LONGEVITY DOCTOR REVEALS WHAT MATTERS MOST FOR AGING WELL, BEYOND PRICEY BIOHACKS

When researchers compared the results with data from more than 55,000 people in the UK Biobank, they found that the drug changed several blood proteins in the opposite direction from what is normally seen with aging.

The researchers also found signs that the drug may affect aging at the cellular level, as it changed processes involved in how cells function and respond to damage.

“Everybody agrees that living longer should be a fundamental human right for everyone.”

Zhavoronkov said the company’s approach uses AI to search for what he calls “molecular criminals” — biological targets that may contribute to both aging and disease.

The study – which was published in Nature Biotechnology – involved researchers from Insilico Medicine as well as Harvard Medical School, Stanford University, the Broad Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Peking University and Westlake University.

Study limitations

Zhavoronkov stressed that the findings are preliminary. “This is a pilot,” he said. “It is early [and] exploratory.”

The study had some limitations, including the small sample size – just 42 patients were analyzed over a 12-week period.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

The participants all had IPF, which can change many of the same proteins researchers use to measure biological aging. This means it’s possible that the improvements in the participants’ lung disease was related to the changes in blood proteins.

The findings don’t prove that the drug actually slows aging, keeps people healthier longer or extends their lives, the researchers acknowledged.

The results were based only on changes in proteins in their blood, and do not yet support the use of rentosertib as an anti-aging treatment.

Risks and side effects

The risks and side effects associated with rentosertib were found to be “manageable,” according to Dr. Carol Ann Satler, senior vice president of clinical development for Insilico Medicine.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

The most common potential side effects included mild diarrhea, slightly lower potassium levels in the blood and temporary increases in liver enzymes.

“Once you stop the drug, essentially, they return to normal,” Satler told Fox News Digital.

In the next trial, the doctor said, “We’ll be looking to adjust the doses of the drug based on the side effect profile so that people can stay on it longer.”

Looking ahead

Rentosertib has now progressed into a year-long phase 3 study of more than 300 patients in China, according to Insilico.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Larger and longer trials – including healthy older adults and populations without IPF – are needed to determine whether the drug truly has anti-aging effects and whether they could lead to better health.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

While more research lies ahead, Zhavoronkov said the findings have given him more confidence to continue pursuing drugs that could target both age-related diseases and aging itself.

“Everybody agrees that living longer should be a fundamental human right for everyone,” he said.

A Georgia woman who just celebrated her 112th birthday credits her longevity to staying close to her family and embracing her strong religious faith.

Mabel Dunbar, of Fayetteville, Georgia, was born in Jamaica in 1914. She is the mother of one, grandmother of four and a great-grandmother, and was honored by loved ones on her birthday Sept. 5 with a custom berry cake, flowers and a crown, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.

“God is love and I love my families,” Dunbar said at her party. “I love all my families and strangers.”

HOW A 93-YEAR-OLD SOCCER REFEREE CREDITS WARTIME RATIONS AND DISCIPLINE FOR HIS LONGEVITY

Those who know her describe Dunbar as “deeply religious, pleasant and talkative,” according to FOX 5.

She spent her life serving others and remaining active, the station reported. Until recently, Dunbar still enjoyed cooking and made breakfast for herself every morning. She also enjoyed sharing stories with visitors.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS

After moving to Florida to live with her daughter in 1994, Dunbar relocated to Fayetteville in August 2025 to live with her granddaughter and grandson-in-law.

Family remains an important part of Dunbar’s daily life, according to FOX 5.

“Treat them the best you can, because they are important,” Dunbar said of younger generations, specifically her grandchildren. “You need them when you can’t help yourself like me. These good people are on me all the time, and I’m happy to see them when they come.”

Leading oncologist and University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel has identified several principles for living longer and reducing disease risk.

They include prioritizing an active social life, staying mentally active with new hobbies and opportunities to learn, limiting processed and sugary foods and drinks without being overly restrictive, engaging in moderate exercise and getting proper sleep, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Emanuel also recommends avoiding obviously dangerous activities and behaviors.

Religious involvement has also been associated with greater longevity, research has suggested.

In a 2016 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined religious service attendance and health outcomes among 74,534 women over 16 years.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

They found that women who attended religious services more than once a week had a 33% lower risk of dying during the follow-up period compared with women who never attended religious services.

Weekly attendance was associated with a 26% lower risk, while attendance less than once a week was associated with a 13% lower risk. Regular attendees also tended to smoke less, experience fewer depressive symptoms and have stronger social support, the researchers reported in 2016.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The world’s oldest documented living person is Ethel Caterham, of England, who turned 117 in August.

Caterham previously told The Associated Press that she credited her long life to “never arguing with anyone,” adding, “I listen, and I do what I like.”

Florida mosquito-control agencies are stepping up surveillance, inspections and spraying, as officials expect the number of locally acquired dengue fever cases in Tampa Bay and across the state to rise in the coming weeks.

As of Sept. 1, the number of dengue fever cases originating in Florida this year had climbed to 33 in Tampa Bay and 41 statewide. Cases are predicted to increase, Fox 13 Tampa Bay reported.

Locally acquired cases mean people contracted the illness where they live rather than while traveling abroad.

DEADLY MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS CLAIMS FIRST LIFE IN MAJOR US CITY AS CASES SPREAD

The Florida Mosquito Control Association (FMCA) reported 30 confirmed cases in Hillsborough County, seven in Miami-Dade County, three in Pinellas County and one in Palm Beach County.

Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are under mosquito-borne illness alerts issued by the Florida Department of Health.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can cause fever, severe aches, nausea, rash and, in rare cases, life-threatening complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, including Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific islands, Latin America and Africa. Though less common in the continental U.S., locally acquired cases have been recorded in Florida, California and Texas.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Hawaii has recorded past outbreaks, and the virus is common in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

The CDC reported in May that 2024 was a record year for dengue in the U.S.

A total of 3,798 cases were reported from U.S. states and the District of Columbia, a 359% increase over the annual average for 2010 through 2023. About 97% of those cases were travel-associated, and roughly 3% were locally acquired.

Florida reported the most dengue cases among U.S. states and Washington, D.C., in 2024, with 1,044 cases, or more than a quarter of the total. Florida recorded 85 locally acquired cases across 10 counties that year, compared with 18 in California and two in Texas.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“Dengue does not stop at county lines,” Pinellas County Mosquito Control Director Alissa Berro told Fox 13.

“The mosquitoes that transmit the virus generally stay within a relatively small area, but people travel throughout the Tampa Bay area every day. When someone infected with dengue enters a new area, a local mosquito can bite that person and later spread the virus to others. As cases rise across the region, so does the potential for additional local transmission.”

Stopping the spread

Mosquito-control crews in Florida are increasing aerial and ground treatments in areas showing dengue virus activity, while also inspecting private properties for potential mosquito breeding sites, according to local reports.

FMCA is urging residents to empty or cover standing water around their homes. The mosquito that spreads dengue is a container breeder, meaning it lays eggs in buckets, planters, plant saucers, tires, discarded toys and other objects that collect small amounts of water, experts say.

The FMCA also advises people to follow what it calls the “three Ds.”

• Dress in long sleeves, light colors and closed-toed shoes outdoors.
• Defend with a repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
• Dump standing water from containers around the home, and check yards regularly.

Many people infected with dengue have no symptoms, and most people who do become sick recover within a week or two, according to Mayo Clinic.

In some cases, however, the illness can progress to severe dengue, a potentially life-threatening condition.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS

Warning signs can develop quickly, often within a day or two after the fever subsides. Those may include severe stomach pain, repeated vomiting, unusual bleeding or bruising, difficulty breathing, extreme tiredness and irritability, or restlessness. 

People experiencing warning signs of severe dengue should seek immediate medical care.