Are you looking for a way to stay young and active well into your later years? While lotions, supplements, exercise routines, and diets are all helpful in this pursuit, there may soon be an FDA-approved medication that could join the force.
Who would have thought that the same drug used to prevent organ transplant rejection could be used to extend lifespan? That's exactly what researchers discovered in the early 2000s. Rapamycin, when given in low doses, has been found to increase lifespan in worms, yeast, flies, and mice. So let's dig deeper and find out what rapamycin really is and how it makes you live longer.
Hello and welcome to I Try Science, and in this video we're going to explore what rapamycin is and what its benefits are.
What is rapamycin?
Rapamycin is a unique discovery with roots on Easter Island, found in the soil of Rapa Nui by bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus in 1972. This fascinating substance has made its way into modern medicine. Clinically known as sirolimus or Rapamune, rapamycin is a powerful tool in the fight against many diseases and illnesses. Its discovery has been a major boon to medicine, and new benefits are unfolding with each passing day.
Clinically, it is a powerful antibiotic belonging to the macrolide family of antibiotics, which includes erythromycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin.
Now that you have an idea about what it is, let's look at how it works.
How rapamycin works?
Rapamycin is an amazing drug that has multiple uses. For one, it can help prevent cancer cells from spreading by blocking their growth and multiplication. It's also used to suppress the immune system of kidney transplant patients so their body doesn't reject the donated organ. But how exactly does it work?
Well, rapamycin targets and inhibits mTOR, which stands for mammalian target of rapamycin. This pathway is responsible for a lot of cell synthesis and metabolism, so by interrupting it with rapamycin, cell growth is effectively hindered. The mTOR pathway is also involved in the formation of many health issues. Rapamycin can potentially help treat those conditions too.
Uses of rapamycin
Rapamycin is an incredibly versatile drug and has been used to treat a wide range of conditions over the years. Originally, it was developed as an immunosuppressant to prevent organ transplant rejection and is now also used to coat coronary stents and treat the rare lung disease lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
Benefits of rapamycin
Rapamycin increases lifespan
Forget expensive anti-aging creams and potions. Scientists have discovered that when rapamycin was given to a group of 20-month-old mice in a study (this age is roughly equivalent to that of a 60-year-old human), after three months of treatment the mice were allowed to age naturally and the results were astonishing. Not only did they live an extra two months on average, but one of them managed to survive for three years and eight months, the equivalent of a human living to 140 years old.
Anti-aging in humans
Have you ever looked at your hands and noticed that they don't look as young as they used to? That's because, like the rest of our bodies, skin ages over time. However, the repair and growth rate of our skin cells is incredibly fast, meaning that with the right maintenance we can slow down and even reverse the effects of aging skin.
A recent study from Drexel University has uncovered a potential solution in rapamycin cream. The study enrolled 13 participants, all 40 years and older, who applied rapamycin cream to one of their hands and placebo cream to the other every one to two days for eight months. The results show that rapamycin cream has the potential to reduce wrinkles and make skin appear smoother, more even, and generally younger looking.
Additionally, it increased collagen production in the treated hands. This is an incredible discovery since collagen is essential for skin health and youthful appearance.
It looks like rapamycin cream may be the solution to aging skin, and this isn't just good news for your hands. Low doses of rapamycin may also be used to increase our longevity and improve the human lifespan. Despite more research being needed, the initial study offers exciting insights into the power of rapamycin and its potential to slow down aging.
Rapamycin and autophagy
Autophagy is our cells' amazing way of fighting the effects of aging and stress. It's like a cellular cleanse that helps to keep your cells healthy and strong. Autophagy is the self-digestion of unneeded or dysfunctional tissue, helping cells to conserve energy so that they can survive in times of scarcity.
Rapamycin is a powerful autophagy inducer, working across a range of cells from yeast to mammals and even humans. In essence, it helps our cells clean up the mess that aging and starvation can create.
Rapamycin improves DNA storage
Recent studies have revealed that rapamycin may be the key to improving our gut health and longevity. This drug helps to control how our DNA is stored inside the cell nucleus by activating a family of proteins called histones. Histones are responsible for winding the DNA tightly so that it can fit into the nucleus, allowing it to form chromosomes and allowing our cells to function.
With rapamycin, we may be able to unlock the potential of our DNA and reap the benefits of improved gut health and a longer life.
As we age, the number of histones decreases, leading to a decrease in DNA stability and expression of certain genes associated with the aging process. By increasing the number of histones, rapamycin can help to reverse the age-related loss and thus protect us from aging and associated diseases.
Furthermore, rapamycin can act via the mTOR pathway, which further strengthens its link between metabolic pathways and our DNA stability.
Rapamycin side effects
Rapamycin is a powerful drug that can have huge benefits for those who need it, but like any medication, it carries with it some potential risks and side effects, so it should always be taken with caution and under the supervision of a medical professional.
Milder side effects include fatigue, headaches, nausea, and skin rashes. More serious side effects can include kidney damage, liver issues, and even life-threatening conditions in some cases, so it is vital to be aware of all possible risks before starting a course of rapamycin.
Although it looks like rapamycin could be a very promising way to slow down the aging process, we still don't know for sure if it works in humans. But researchers are working hard to find out. They're also looking into ways to reduce the side effects of rapamycin so even if it's proven to work, it can still be used safely and effectively.
We may not have all the answers yet, but it looks like rapamycin could be a game changer when it comes to aging.
While research shows that the majority of side effects occur in people with serious pre-existing health conditions, the long-term effects of rapamycin on healthy individuals remain unknown.
To date, there have been no long-term human studies to determine if rapamycin is safe for anti-aging use for people without health issues, so it's best to proceed with caution if you're considering it for this purpose.