A study published in the November 15, 2017 issue of the Aging Journal addressed the need to identify nutraceuticals—safe, naturally-occurring compounds—that mimic the anti-aging effects of calorie restriction, and revealed how these compounds were identified using artificial intelligence.
Calorie restriction is associated with enhanced longevity. However, for many it is an impractical or impossible long-term strategy. Thus, the goal of this study was to identify compounds that activate the same anti-aging pathways as a calorie restriction mimetic.
The study, a collaboration between Insilico Medicine and Life Extension, applied gene expression data from the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) L1000 dataset to map the gene- and pathway-level signatures of a calorie restriction mimetic and screened for matches among over 800 natural compounds. They then predicted the safety of each compound with an ensemble of deep neural network classifiers.
Several complementary approaches were employed including conventional statistical methods, pathway scoring-based methods, and training of deep neural networks (DNN) for signature recognition. To evaluate potential adverse effects of top-scoring natural compounds, a set of deep learned predictors, trained on transcriptional response data, were utilized.
This study also revealed promising candidates for future experimental validation while demonstrating the applications of powerful screening methods for this and similar endeavors. Moreover, the scientific research opportunities that this presents are as endless as the contributions that a socially and economically active, secure and healthy aging population can bring to society.
Life Extension utilized the findings of this artificial intelligence empowered study to develop a novel dietary supplement called GEROPROTECTTM Longevity A.I. Longevity A.I, is an innovative combination of three natural nutrients, withaferin a, gamma-linolenic acid, and ginsenoside Rg3 from Asian ginseng, that mimic known metabolic regulators of the same anti-aging pathways targeted by calorie restriction mimetics, which have long been associated with increased life expectancy.
"GEROPROTECT™ Longevity A.I.™ is the only formation to combine three potential life-prolonging ingredients into a single supplement," said Andrew G. Swick, Ph.D., senior vice president, product development and scientific affairs at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Life Extension. "This unique formulation based on proprietary artificial intelligence technology contains these geroprotector ingredients in concentrations several magnitudes higher than conventional dietary supplements. We suggest that this novel formulation should be a keystone product in all life extensionists' supplement regimens."
Insilico, a next-generation artificial intelligence company specializing in the application of deep learning proprietary technology for biomarker development and aging research, used pioneering high-performance computer simulations to probe of the effect of extracts on anti-aging pathways.
The company is located at the Emerging Technology Centers at the Johns Hopkins University Eastern campus in Baltimore. Insilico utilizes advances in genomics, big-data analysis, and deep learning for developing products for various health related industries.
"We researched thousands of natural compounds and their combinations using our proprietary deep-learning artificial intelligence technology to identify the optimal combination of ingredients that activate the same anti-aging pathways as a calorie restriction mimetic," said Alex Zhavoronkov, Ph.D. and chief executive officer of Insilico Medicine, Inc. "Without this technology our search to swiftly fight back against aging would have literally taken decades to determine and achieve."
Full text of the study can be found at http://www.aging-us.com/article/101319/text#fulltext.
For over 37 years, Life Extension has been a pioneer in funding and reporting the latest anti-aging research and integrative health support while offering superior-quality dietary supplements. Life Extension develops and manufactures more than 350 science-based formulations that set the standard for quality, purity, and potency. A trailblazer in the $37 billion U.S. dietary supplements industry, Life Extension has a long history of offering prescient health guidance to American consumers, often years ahead of the mainstream medical establishment. Life Extension is an organization dedicated to finding new scientific methods to enhance and expand the healthy human life span. It funds research programs aimed at developing new scientific breakthroughs and has donated more than $175 million to anti-aging studies.
