Longevity experts say rapamycin is the new fountain of youth

Rapamycin is a natural compound used primarily to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients. It is also considered a promising antiaging drug among longevity seekers.

Rapamycin has been trending on social media, where biohackers like Dr. Peter Attia and Bryan Johnson tout it as the “gold standard” for people looking to live longer, healthier lives.

Also known as sirolimus or Rapamune, rapamycin inhibits the activity of a protein called mTOR, which helps regulate cell growth and metabolism. Suppressing mTOR appears to attenuate inflammation and accelerate autophagy, a process of clearing damaged materials from cells.

Chronic inflammation is associated with diabetes, heart disease and muscle pain, so reducing it may have some health benefits. And increased autophagy can completely clear toxic proteins like amyloid-beta and tau. Accumulation of these two proteins in the brain can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s unclear how many people are taking rapamycin for its antiaging properties, as the drug is usually taken off-label or purchased from providers out of state, the New York Times reports.

Scientists were first alerted to the anti-aging potential of rapamycin in 2006, when a study found that the compound could extend the lifespan of yeast.

In 2009, other researchers found that mice dosed with rapamycin lived 12% longer than those that did not.

Originally believed to increase the risk of cancer, further research found that rapamycin actually prevents lymphoma and some types of cancer in transplant patients. Rapamycin has been shown to be the most effective cancer prevention agent in mice.

Dr. Dean Kellogg Jr., a professor of medicine and geriatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, tells the Times that while many drugs were tested for their antiaging properties as part of a National Institute on Aging research program . Rapamycin was the first to make a difference in lifespan and healthy lifespan in both male and female mice.

Data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society on Aging this year showed that marmosets given rapamycin increased their lifespan by approximately 10%.

Whether these life-giving benefits extend to humans remains unclear.

Among rapamycin supporters, the strongest link between the drug and increased vitality comes from a 2014 study that found that older adults given an mTOR inhibitor similar to rapamycin had a better immune response to the flu vaccine than those who did not receive the drug.

“It really suggested that in humans, these drugs, the mTOR inhibitors, could improve something that gets damaged in older adults,” Adam Konopka, an assistant professor of geriatrics and gerontology at the University of Wisconsin, explained to the Times.

There are also downsides. Rapamycin users may experience mouth sores and nausea, and in some cases, insulin sensitivity and increased cholesterol have been reported.

A potentially serious concern for those taking rapamycin for life is that the drug’s immune-suppressing properties will increase the risk of infection or disease.

Transplant patients are given higher doses – it is plausible that the lower doses given to anti-aging enthusiasts may make them more prone to infection, especially those with pre-existing conditions.

A recent study pending peer review followed participants who received a weekly dose rapamycin during a year. No significant benefits or side effects were recorded, although those who took the drug reported feeling better overall.

Among those who were given the highest doses of rapamycinmen showed increased bone density and women had more lean muscle mass – two established defenses in the fight against aging.

Adam Salmon, a professor of molecular medicine at UT Health San Antonio, tells the Times that while apparent short-term benefits haven’t been reported or established, that doesn’t mean rapamycin is ineffective.

He explains that in older animals, rapamycin appears to “prevent and preserve things” rather than reverse or renew them, “So unless you’re doing a long-term human study looking at health maintenance, you shouldn’t expect to see significant improvements.”