Integration of proteomic aging clocks in a phase 2a clinical trial supports simultaneous geroprotective assessment.

Six proteomic aging clocks consistently predicted lower biological age in a 12-week clinical trial of rentosertib for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

• Why it matters: Detecting whether drugs modulate aging itself is challenging with standard trial designs, and existing epigenetic models often produce inconsistent results, limiting their utility in aging research.
• What they did: Researchers compared six proteomic clocks using serum samples from a phase 2a trial, analyzing variance and pathway shifts to assess anti-aging effects alongside disease treatment.
• The result: All clocks indicated anti-aging effects from rentosertib, and pathway analysis revealed potential shifts in senescence and metabolism, supporting dual-purpose trials that evaluate both disease and aging outcomes.