Rapamycin seems to boost longevity as effectively as eating less

Drug reputation seems to have more or less the same effect of life to life as the restriction of calories, according to the largest study to date of longevity in different species of vertebrates.

Scientists examine if interventions such as food adjustments and exercise could help us live longer while reducing the impacts on aging health. It has been shown that the restriction of the calorie intake by ensuring that the essential nutrient needs are met, for example, expands the lifespan of non -human animals up to 40%.

“Anyone in the field that pays attention, I think we all have known for a long time that the caloric restriction generally works – and by works, I mean increasing the lifespan,” explains Matt Kaeberlein at the University of Washington in Seattle, which was not involved in the latest research.

Another approach to interest is potential anti-aging drugs, such as rapamycin, which was initially developed as immunosuppressant. A combination of rapaamycin and the tramema of cancer medication was shown earlier this year to increase the lifespan in mouse by 30%.

Now, Zahida Sultanova at the University of East Anglia, in the United Kingdom, and his colleagues examined the data of 167 studies on life interventions through eight species of vertebrates, including fish, mice, rats and Rhesus monkeys, but not humans.

The researchers found that the food restriction, whether via intermittent fasting or simply cutting calories, has extended the lifespan of eight species, for men and women – and raascin seems to have roughly the same effect. They also examined the potential of type 2 -diabetes medication, which was also presented as a potential life of life, but has found no advantage of longevity.

People should not start to withdraw from raascin at the back of these results, explains Sultanova. “Rapamycin, in particular high doses, has side effects because it is supposed to remove your immune system,” she said, adding that studies in mice show that it can disrupt reproduction. However, the preliminary data of a trial recently indicated that low doses of rapamycin is relatively safe in healthy elderly people.

Kaeberlein also says that people should not take medication or restrict their calorie contribution to try to push aging, the latter being linked to physical weakness and mental health problems. “I think we have to know more about the risk-reversed relationship in humans before we can do this kind of determinations,” he said. “I believe that raopamycin will have advantages for some people and we learn more and more about whom these people are likely to be.”

Other drugs that operate similarly to rapamycin, known as rapalogues, could be more promising if they can prolong the lifespan with even fewer side effects, explains Sultanova.

Kaeberlein says that the results correspond to the models he has seen in the literature, but adds that “you always have to be careful when you look through different species because the extent of the effects we see in shorter life organisms is generally greater than the extent that we see in the longer term organisms”.