Mitopure Shows Promising Results for Immune Ageing

A Swiss biotechnology company has tested a new longevity supplement, with the latest clinical findings delivering encouraging early results.

The oral antioxidant is “an attractive option to alter immune aging,” say researchers from Amazentis SA, who worked with an international group of scientists.

As well as being safe and well tolerated for everyday use, the supplement has shown possible immune-system rejuvenation effects in a new clinical trial.

Further research will be necessary to establish the genuine health outcomes, although the early blood-based indicators are positive.

Urolithin A and the Mitopure longevity supplement

The supplement uses a naturally occurring metabolite known as urolithin A (UA). Gut bacteria produce UA after we consume foods including pomegranates, strawberries, raspberries and certain nuts.

Early human evidence suggests that UA could support mitophagy, the process through which old or damaged mitochondria are removed from cells. This process may help maintain cellular health.

Research in animal models indicates that UA might also extend lifespan and offer a degree of protection to the ageing brain.

Amazentis SA is relying on these potential effects. The company started selling a purified UA formulation, Mitopure, in 2020. A 2022 clinical trial found that older adults who took 500 mg of Mitopure daily experienced significant gains in muscle strength after four months.

A more recent, shorter Mitopure trial has now identified possible benefits for the immune system as well.

Mitopure trial findings for immune ageing

The newest trial involved 50 healthy middle-aged adults, randomly allocated to one of two groups. One group received 1,000 mg of Mitopure each day, while the other was given a daily placebo. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew which treatment each person was receiving.

After four weeks, the healthy adults taking the supplement displayed measurable alterations in immune cells circulating in their blood.

Most notably, the CD8⁺ T cells of those receiving the supplement - cells that destroy dangerous invaders and diseased cells - had a more ‘youthful’ metabolic profile than those in the placebo group. Their natural killer cells also demonstrated metabolic improvements.

It remains uncertain whether these changes continue beyond the trial’s four-week duration or what they mean for someone’s longer-term health. Nevertheless, the researchers hope they indicate better immune function that could partly “counteract age-related immune decline”.

For now, though, that proposition remains theoretical.

Many supplements make longevity claims. Mitopure may be among the uncommon products to generate significant clinical-trial findings, yet an association with changes in biomarkers does not prove that it improves immune function or extends lifespan.

“Whereas our findings provide clear evidence of reduced immune aging features, further studies are required to examine whether these improvements induced by UA translate into clinically tangible benefits,” the authors conclude.

Mitopure will next be assessed in a clinical trial examining whether it can complement immunotherapy for cancer patients. Such research would help demonstrate a tangible immune benefit.

The study was published in Nature Aging.