AGEremmers

AGE inhibitors, or AGE-remmers, are substances that reduce the formation or effects of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). AGEs are diverse modifications of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids produced when reducing sugars react with amino groups. Accumulation of AGEs is linked to aging and to complications of diabetes and other diseases, in part through protein crosslinking, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Inhibitors act by multiple mechanisms, such as trapping reactive carbonyl species (carbonyl scavengers) to prevent AGE formation, hindering the conversion of early glycation products to AGEs, blocking RAGE signaling, or enhancing detoxification pathways.

Common examples include aminoguanidine, a classic carbonyl scavenger, and pyridoxamine, both studied for diabetic complications. Other agents with anti-glycation effects include benfotiamine, metformin, and various natural compounds such as carnosine and certain polyphenols, though clinical evidence varies. Some AGE inhibitors have reached clinical trials; aminoguanidine showed potential but raised safety concerns, and pyridoxamine produced mixed results. To date, no AGE inhibitor has become a widely approved, dedicated therapy, and research continues in preclinical and clinical settings.

In addition to medical research, strategies to reduce AGE exposure or formation extend to nutrition and food processing. Cooking methods that involve lower temperatures or more moisture can limit dietary AGE formation, and some interventions are explored as food additives, though regulatory and efficacy considerations differ by jurisdiction.

See also: Advanced glycation end-products, RAGE.