Nature Study Finds Late-Life Semaglutide Extended Lifespan and Slowed Ageing Markers in Female Mice

Nature published a study online on September 2, 2026 reporting that late-life treatment with semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management, slowed markers of ageing and extended lifespan in female mice. The study was led by corresponding author Danica Chen, a professor in the Department of Metabolic Biology and Nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley, with postdoctoral researcher Yufan Feng as lead author. Co-authors included researchers from UC Berkeley, the University of Copenhagen, and the National Institute on Aging.

According to the paper's PubMed abstract, the researchers treated 20-month-old female C57BL/6 mice, an age roughly equivalent to late middle age in mice, with semaglutide for three months. Treatment improved physiological function, attenuated recognized hallmarks of ageing, and altered nutrient-sensing and genetic pathways linked to ageing. A UC Berkeley press release describing the paper reported that mice given semaglutide injections for the remainder of their lives lived, on average, about 100 days longer than mice that did not receive the drug, and that treated mice showed improved muscle and cognitive function along with genetic evidence of reduced inflammation and improved regenerative capacity compared with untreated mice.

The researchers also ran a separate five-month comparison designed to test whether semaglutide's effects simply mirrored calorie restriction, a well-established intervention known to slow ageing and extend lifespan in animal studies. Because semaglutide-treated mice naturally reduced their food intake by 24 percent, the researchers put an additional group of untreated mice on a diet matched to that same 24 percent calorie reduction. The two groups showed similar overall longevity, according to the Berkeley release, but semaglutide-treated mice performed better than the calorie-restricted group on tests of exploratory behavior and spatial memory, such as navigating a maze to find an exit, and maintained better blood-sugar control. Calorie-restricted mice also showed a slower metabolic rate than normal, while the metabolic rate of semaglutide-treated mice was largely unchanged.

"We are very excited by this new study, because it could potentially broaden the application of GLP-1 medicines to healthy aging individuals to extend lifespan and healthspan," Chen said in the UC Berkeley press release. Of the differences between the semaglutide and calorie-restriction groups, Chen said: "These differences point to the possibility that GLP-1 drugs tap into a biological pathway independent of calorie restriction." She added that "uncovering this potential route and the benefits that may specifically stem from it is an important direction for future research into the development of longevity-enhancing interventions."

The study has notable limitations. It was conducted only in female mice, so it does not establish whether similar effects occur in male mice or in humans of either sex. The Berkeley release states plainly that "there is no indication that similar results could be immediately achieved in humans," and the authors frame the work as a mechanistic finding that may inform future research rather than a demonstrated anti-ageing benefit in people. The University of California has filed a patent application related to GLP-1 receptor agonists for healthy ageing, and the paper's competing-interests statement discloses that filing. The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for chronic weight management, is already approved by the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, and Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration. This mouse study does not change that regulatory status, does not constitute evidence that semaglutide slows ageing or extends lifespan in humans, and is not treatment, anti-ageing, or dosing guidance. Any decision about semaglutide use should be made with a qualified clinician based on its approved indications.