Doctors typically use zoledronate to treat patients with osteoporosis, but according to new research, the bone drug can also be used to prevent stem cells from aging.

A team of researchers from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom found that when given to individuals suffering from DNA damage as a result of aging stem cells, zoledronate extends the lifespan of the cells as well as their ability to repair tissues.

DNA damage occurs when stem cells can no longer repair the tissues in which they live and maintain their proper function.

Ilaria Bellantuono, a researcher at Sheffield's metabolism department, explained that zoledronate has the ability to restore damaged DNA in bone stem cells. He believes that the drug can also have the same healing factor on other types of stem cells.

"This drug has been shown to delay mortality in patients affected by osteoporosis but until now we didn't know why," Bellantuono said. "These findings provide an explanation as to why it may help people to live longer."

According to the researchers, their goal is to determine whether zoledronate can be used to revert or delay the effects of stem cell aging in older people. In addition, they aim to enhance the maintenance capabilities of tissues to promote longer, healthier lives.

Their study focuses on how the bone drug can help stem cells repair damaged tissues following an injury such as those incurred when elderly cancer patients are exposed to radiotherapy.

An estimated 50 percent of people beyond 75 years old often experience three or more types of diseases at the same time. These include muscle weakness, infections, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Researchers hope that zoledronate can be used as a prevention and treatment for such diseases, so patients don't need to depend on a mixture of medications in order to address each condition.

Bellantuono said their findings could pave the way for the development of better cancer treatments and boost longevity in elderly patients by lowering their susceptibility to diseases related to aging.

The findings of the University of Sheffield study are featured in the journal Stem Cells.

Photo: Pedro Ribeiro Simões | Flickr