Russian scientists have said they plan to develop what they describe as the world’s first gene therapy drugs to combat cell ageing.
One of the candidates targets the RAGE gene, which triggers cell ageing, while the other is aimed at sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. Denis Sekirinsky, deputy minister of science and higher education, presented both initiatives at a conference in Saransk held under a regional healthy-longevity movement.
The RAGE-blocking drug is being developed by the Institute of Biology of Ageing and Medicine. Blocking the gene can prolong a cell’s youthful state, Sekirinsky said. The research uses advanced genetic technologies and is considered a promising approach to tackling ageing, he added.
The second drug candidate, which would be the first treatment for sarcopenia based on exosomes, uses the tiny vesicles that cells employ to communicate. Sekirinsky noted that once sarcopenia develops, exercise can no longer restore physical ability, and exosomes might offer a solution.
Researchers at the Petrovsky Russian National Research Centre for Surgery conducted experimental studies in 2025. They showed that transferring exosomes from ageing cells to young cells sharply increased inflammation and accelerated ageing in the young cells, while transferring exosomes from young cells to ageing cells rejuvenated the older cells.
The science ministry said work on an exosome-based drug derived from young cells is already underway. The drug could help prevent or reverse sarcopenia and restore motor function.
Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said at a forum that Russian scientists plan to develop drugs that repair ageing cells between 2028 and 2030, as well as biomedical cell products to treat brain and spinal cord injuries, wounds and burns. She called those developments a priority of the national project “New Technologies for Health Preservation.”
