The Quest for Anti-Aging Drugs
Rapamycin Shows Promise
Although life expectancy is increasing, healthy life expectancy is not increasing at the same pace, leading to more years being lived in poor health. Therefore, the disease burden is shifting to chronic disease, with age being the main driver for chronic ageing-related diseases.
The average amount of time spent living with chronic disease in industrialised countries is about 11 years. As a result, there is a growing focus on research that targets ageing, for example the investigation of geroprotectors, compounds capable of slowing the ageing process and delaying the onset of multiple tissue dysfunction and ageing-related diseases.
It’s sad, but true that as we get older, our bodies gradually lose their youthful vigour, muscles become weaker, skin wrinkles, memories fade, and the risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and dementia increases substantially. While some degree of ageing is inevitable, scientists have been searching for ways to slow down or even reverse some of these changes associated with growing old.
One promising area of anti-ageing research focuses on a compound called rapamycin and drugs derived from it.
Rapamycin was first discovered as an antifungal agent produced by bacteria found in the soil on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), and was later found to have potent immunosuppressive effects and has been used to prevent rejection in organ transplant recipients.
What makes rapamycin especially intriguing for ageing research is its ability to inhibit a central regulator called the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). The mTOR pathway acts as a master controller, governing cellular processes like growth, proliferation, and metabolism. Overactive mTOR signaling has been linked to many ageing-related diseases and dysfunctions.
You have probably seen and heard a lot lately about the mTor pathway, with recent spate longevity gurus on YouTube and elseawhere.
By inhibiting mTOR, rapamycin essentially puts a brake on this acceleration towards ageing and associated diseases. Numerous studies in simple organisms like yeast, worms, flies and mice have shown that rapamycin can significantly extend lifespan.
But what about in humans?
A new systematic review published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity aimed to summarize the latest evidence from clinical studies testing rapamycin and similar drugs in adults for potential anti-ageing effects.
The researchers scoured through over 18,000 studies before zeroing in on 19 that met their criteria. These included over 2,000 participants, some healthy adults and some with age-related diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, or cardiovascular issues.
Their analysis found that rapamycin and rapamycin-derived drugs (“rapalogs”) had a positive impact on physiological parameters related to ageing in several body systems:
Immune system: The drugs helped reverse age-related declines in immune function, improving responses to vaccines in older adults.
Cardiovascular system: Markers of cardiovascular ageing like arterial stiffness and cardiac hypertrophy were improved with rapamycin treatment.
Skin/integumentary system: Rapamycin led to better skin condition and appearance, reducing wrinkling.
Importantly, no significant side effects were reported in healthy individuals taking these drugs short-term, though, in people with diseases, there was an increased risk of infections and elevated cholesterol/triglyceride levels.
The researchers did not find clear effects, positive or negative, for rapamycin on the endocrine system (controlling hormone levels), musculoskeletal system, or neurological/brain function. Effects on the respiratory, digestive, renal and reproductive systems were not evaluated due to lack of data.
So while the results are promising, there are still many unanswered questions, and most of the studies were relatively short-term, so the long-term safety and effectiveness of taking rapamycin for decades is unknown. The optimal dosing and treatment regimens also need more research.
But for those dreaming of a pharmaceutical fountain of youth, rapamycin represents a tantalizing first step. By tapping the brakes on the mTOR pathway, it may be possible to decelerate some of the detrimental processes of ageing throughout the body.
Of course, rapamycin is not a complete panacea. A healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, good nutrition, stress management and strong social ties will always be crucial for healthy ageing.
In my view though, an anti-ageing pill that could be added to that mix would be a game-changer in the quest for more years of healthy, youthful living.
Click this link to read more about active longevity for seniors
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