Lithium (Li+) has been used to treat mood affect disorders, including bipolar, for decades.
This drug is neuroprotective and has several identified molecular targets. However, it has a
narrow therapeutic range and the one or more underlying mechanisms of its therapeutic
action are not understood. Here we describe a pharmacogenetic study of Li+ in the
nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Exposure to Li+ at clinically relevant concentrations
throughout adulthood increases survival during normal aging (up to 46% median increase) …