ROCHESTER, Minnesota — Dasatinib, a drug that often is used to treat certain types of leukemia, may have antidiabetic effects comparable to medications used to treat diabetes, and with more research may become a novel therapy for diabetic patients, according to new research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Dasatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat tumors and malignant tissue, as well as chronic myelogenous leukemia. Researchers at Mayo Clinic and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine wanted to know if dasatinib also has antidiabetic properties for older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Using a Mayo Clinic database with more than 9 million case histories spanning 25 years, they determined it may have an antidiabetic effect comparable to or perhaps greater than current medications used to treat type 2 diabetes.

Dasatinib is a senolytic drug, a type of agent first identified at Mayo Clinic that in animal studies targets senescent cells. These cells accumulate in many tissues with aging and at sites of pathology in chronic diseases, and in animal studies senolytic drugs appear to delay, prevent or alleviate age-related changes, chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes.

"Our findings suggest that dasatinib or related senolytic drugs may become diabetic therapies," says Robert Pignolo, M.D., Ph.D., the study's senior author. "More study is needed to determine whether these findings also are observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus but without underlying malignant disease."

Researchers used Mayo Clinic's Informatics for Integrating Biology at the Bedside, a framework that organizes and transforms patient records into a deidentified research database. The retrospective study started with a total of 9.3 million individuals who were screened for use of either dasatinib or imatinib, another tyrosine kinase inhibitor that was approved for treatment of a type of leukemia in 2001 but with weak senolytic activity. The records were for Mayo patients from 1994 to 2019. Of those patients, 279 were treated with imatinib and 118 with dasatinib, and after further screening, a total of 48 patients were included in the study.

The findings show that dasatinib lowers serum glucose in patients with pre-existing type 2 diabetes to a greater degree than imatinib and comparable to first-line diabetic medications such as metformin and sulfonylureas.

Further study is needed to determine whether the antidiabetic effect of dasatinib is due primarily to its senolytic properties, says Dr. Pignolo, director of the Translation and Pharmacology Program at Mayo Clinic's Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging. If it is, the effectiveness of combining dasatinib with another senolytic drug such as quercetin may be greater than with dasatinib alone.

"This study was really the first proof-of-concept that a senolytic drug may have substantial long-term beneficial effects in humans," Dr. Pignolo says. "According to research in animal models, it is not necessary to give senolytic drugs continuously, and so patients may need only take a drug such as dasatinib every few weeks, reducing possible side effects."

The study was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; the Robert and Arlene Kogod Professorship in Geriatric Medicine at Mayo Clinic; the National Institute on Aging; the Noaber Foundation Professorship in Aging at Mayo Clinic; the Connor Group; the Robert J. and Theresa W. Ryan Foundation; and the Travelers Chair in Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

###

About Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Mayo Clinic Proceedings is a monthly peer-reviewed journal that publishes original articles and reviews on clinical and laboratory medicine, clinical research, basic science research, and clinical epidemiology. The journal, sponsored by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitment to physician education, has been published for 95 years and has a circulation of 127,000.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. For information on COVID-19, including Mayo Clinic's Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has 14-day forecasting on COVID-19 trends, visit the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Resource Center.

Media contact:

• Bob Nellis, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu
  

The post Retrospective study finds that cancer drug also lowers blood glucose appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, cardiologist Dr. Stephen Kopecky explains how prolonged stress can increase cholesterol levels. Also on the program, primary care internal medicine specialist Dr. Jon Ebbert discusses the serious health problem in the U.S. of abuse of opioid pain medications; new, more stringent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for prescribing these powerful painkillers; and of how opioids can best be used to treat acute and chronic pain. And, general internal medicine researcher Dr. James Kirkland talks about how destroying cells that contribute to frailty and other conditions associated with aging in mice may someday benefit humans.

Myth or Matter-of-Fact: If your doctor prescribes an opioid pain medication for you, expect to be re-evaluated within a few weeks.

Listen to the program on Saturday, April 9, at 9:05 a.m. CDT, and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Stress and Cholesterol/Opioid Abuse/Anti-Aging Research appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Myth or Matter-of-Fact: If your doctor prescribes an opioid pain medication for you, expect to be re-evaluated within a few weeks.

Listen to the program on Saturday, April 9, at 9:05 a.m. CDT.

Miss the show? Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Opioid Abuse/Stress and Cholesterol/Anti-Aging Research appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Ecosystems usually refer to places on the earth, like forests or deserts. But our bodies have ecosystems, too. Collectively called the "human microbiome," these communities of organisms help keep us healthy. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, gastroenterologist Dr. Purna Kashyap discusses how the human microbiome works. Also on the program, infectious disease specialist Dr. Pritish Tosh explains when it might be OK to stop taking an antibiotic early. Stool transplantation is being used to treat serious digestive diseases, and gastroenterologist Dr. Sahil Khanna describes how this new treatment works. And physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Nathan LeBrasseur talks about ways to slow the aging process.

Myth or Matter-of-Fact: It's OK to stop taking an antibiotic before the prescribed time is up if symptoms have gone away.

Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeartRadio.

Click here to listen to the program at 9:05 a.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 5 and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

To find and listen to archived shows, click here.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Myth or Matter-of-Fact: It's OK to stop taking an antibiotic before the prescribed time is up if symptoms have gone away.

Miss the program?  Here's the podcast: MayoClinicRadio 09-05-15 PODCAST

Follow #MayoClinicRadio and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

To find and listen to archived shows, click here.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Human Microbiome/Antibiotics Use/Stool Transplant/Slowing Aging appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES

Healthy cooking for 1 or 2
Cooking for just yourself and maybe a partner? Don't settle for leftovers and frozen dinners. Experiment with these healthy cooking tips.

EXPERT ANSWERS
DHEA: Evidence for anti-aging claims is weak
Get the facts on this popular anti-aging supplement.

Are food allergies hereditary?
If you have food allergies, there is a higher chance your child will, too. Learn about the likelihood.

Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

PLUS ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Follow-up care for GPA and MPA: What to expect
Wrinkle creams: Your guide to younger looking skin
Video: Chest press with dumbbell
Asthma: Limit asthma attacks caused by colds or flu

HEALTHY RECIPES
Chickpea hummus
Baba ghanoush
Vegetable salsa
Crispy potato skins

HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK
Brush up on how to brush your teeth
You brush your teeth every day, but are you doing it properly? Here's how to brush: Hold your toothbrush at a slight angle against your teeth and brush with short back-and-forth motions. Remember to brush the back and chewing surfaces of your teeth, as well as your tongue. Avoid vigorous or harsh scrubbing, which can irritate your gums. Or use an electric toothbrush. Either way, brush your teeth at least twice a day: in the morning and before you go to bed.

NOW BLOGGING
The Mayo Clinic Diet: Tips to save time, eat healthy and exercise regularly
It's a busy, busy, busy world. But you can still eat good-for-you foods and fit in fitness. Try these tips.

The post Monday’s Housecall appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.