Antipsychotic drug pimozide extends lifespan and boosts stress resistance in nematodes
The treatment relies on SKN-1 activation to increase collagen synthesis and enhance healthspan markers in Caenorhabditis elegans.
In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, researchers investigated whether the antipsychotic drug pimozide could extend lifespan and improve healthspan. Treatment with 0.1 micromolar pimozide increased mean lifespan by 44.3 percent, median lifespan by 50.0 percent, and maximum lifespan by 39.8 percent. Treated nematodes maintained better locomotion, developed less lipofuscin, and suffered less paralysis than controls. Pimozide also reduced endogenous reactive oxygen species levels and improved survival under heat, ultraviolet, and oxidative stress conditions. Transcriptomic and biochemical tests revealed that pimozide upregulated collagen gene expression and elevated hydroxyproline levels, indicating enhanced collagen synthesis. The compound drove nuclear localization of the transcription factor SKN-1, and its longevity and collagen-promoting effects were completely abolished in skn-1 mutant worms.
Why it matters
The study demonstrates that repurposing an existing psychotropic drug can activate conserved longevity pathways and promote collagen remodeling to enhance resilience against age-related decline.
Caveats
The findings are limited to an invertebrate model treated at a single concentration, meaning further testing is required to determine if these effects apply to mammalian biology.
- Pimozide
- Loss of proteostasis
- NRF2–KEAP1 antioxidant response
- Oxidative stress and ROS signalling
- skn-1
- Hydroxyproline
- Lipofuscin
- Reactive oxygen species
- Caenorhabditis elegans
The paper
Repurposing Pimozide as a Geroprotector: Lifespan Extension via SKN-1 Activation and Collagen Remodeling in Caenorhabditis elegans
Huang Y, Wang M, Zhou Y et al.
Antioxidants · 21 Sep 2026