Antidepressants and Worm Genes: Potential Keys to Slowing Aging

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly used to treat depression and anxiety can improve the quality of aging females’ egg cells in roundworms and fruit flies. The study found that exposure to SSRIs decreased embryonic death and chromosomal abnormalities in surviving offspring. The researchers said these findings could lead to new opportunities to explore pharmacological interventions that could combat infertility issues in humans by improving egg quality and delaying the onset of reproductive aging.