Rapamycin for longevity
The Division of Biology of Aging at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) is the agency in charge of studying the efficacy of anti-aging substances or drugs in the United States. So far, 16 compounds have passed through its testing program. Most of them, from fish oil, green tea extract, turmeric, or the famous resveratrol, have shown no effect. Those that have are aspirin, arcabose, used in the treatment of diabetes, and rapamycin, the newest element.
Rapamycin is a substance produced by the bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus and is also, according to the latest research, the drug that takes the lead in prolonging life.
It was found in the mid-1960s in soil samples collected on Easter Island, at the foot of the famous statues, as today recalls an allusive plaque. The Canadian chemist of Indian origin Surendra Nath Segal was responsible for proving its antifungal and immune system suppressant properties. In 1999 the FDA authorized the use of the drug to prevent rejection in organ transplants.
In 2009, a team of three American researchers found that rapamycin extended the half-life of mice by 13% in the case of females and 9% in the case of males, even if they started taking it at an advanced age. The most surprising thing is not that it stops diseases such as cancer or improves a damaged organ, the best thing is that it delays the general deterioration of the body.
The optimal dose in humans is not yet known, nor is it known how to neutralize the side effects, since being an immunosuppressant it leaves the body more exposed to infections. But the research results are encouraging: in mice, rapamycin slows the loss of bone mass, improves cardiac function, reduces chronic inflammation, and improves the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Rapamycin enhances TRPML1-dependent autophagy and thus may contribute significantly to the neuroprotective and anti-aging effects of rapamycin.
This same autophagy process delays cell aging, making cells healthier and thus preventing the development of age-related diseases that can lead to a poorer quality of life and death.
In recent years, rapamycin derivatives with improved pharmacokinetic properties have been developed in the pharmaceutical industry, including temsirolimus (Tem), everolimus (Eve), deforolimus (Defo), zotarolimus (Zota), etc. These drugs, so far, have been approved for clinical trials testing their ability to target cancer cells and alleviate metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, recent studies have shown that rapamycin and its derivatives prolong the lifespan of various organisms, from flies to mammals. Therefore, it could be possible to develop a drug that could be used to delay aging in humans.