Exploring the Potential Longevity and Anti-Aging Benefits of Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
Learn about Rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug with promising off-label uses for extending lifespan and improving healthspan. Discover its potential benefits, side effects, and considerations for clinical use in anti-aging and longevity contexts.
Rapamycin
Rapamycin (Sirolimus) is an FDA-approved drug initially used to prevent organ transplant rejection and treat certain cancers1. It has garnered interest for its potential off-label use to extend lifespan and improve healthspan based on preclinical studies in yeast, invertebrates, and rodents12.
Potential Benefits:
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Longevity: Rapamycin has been shown to increase lifespan in various organisms, including mammals23. It likely achieves this by inhibiting the mTOR pathway, which is involved in cell growth, proliferation, protein synthesis, and autophagy.
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Anti-Aging: Its anti-aging properties include reducing the occurrence of age-related diseases and potentially improving age-related cognitive impairments3.
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Anti-Inflammatory: Rapamycin has notable anti-inflammatory effects, which might contribute to its ability to ameliorate some aging-related conditions4.
Potential Side Effects:
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Metabolic Effects: Long-term use of rapamycin can lead to lipid metabolism disorders, such as fatty liver and hyperlipidemia4.
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Immune Modulation: As an immunosuppressant, it may increase susceptibility to infections5.
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Liver Toxicity: Although rapamycin can induce fatty liver, studies suggest this type of fatty liver may not be as harmful as diet or alcohol-induced fatty liver4.
Clinical and Off-Label Use:
- Physicians have started prescribing rapamycin off-label for its potential to enhance healthspan, although there is limited data on its long-term safety and efficacy in this context1.
- It has also been explored in combination with other drugs like acarbose, showing significant increases in lifespan in animal studies5.
Considerations:
- Dosing: The appropriate dosing regimen for anti-aging benefits is not fully established and might vary depending on individual health conditions.
- Medical Guidance: Due to potential side effects and immunosuppressive properties, rapamycin should only be used under medical supervision.
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Footnotes
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Evaluation of off-label rapamycin use to promote healthspan in 333 adults - PubMed ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Rapamycin, the only drug that consistently demonstrated to increase mammalian longevity. An update ↩ ↩2
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Rapamycin suppresses inflammation and increases the interaction between p65 and IκBα in rapamycin-induced fatty livers ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Lifespan benefits for the combination of rapamycin plus acarbose and for captopril in genetically heterogeneous mice ↩ ↩2
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