Time’s Arrow
Imagine if you could take medicine to prevent the decline of ageing and keep you healthy. Scientists are searching for a drug with these effects. Rapamycin is the most promising anti-ageing medication. It has been shown to have positive effects on health and life span when tested in laboratory animals. Rapamycin is usually given for life to achieve maximum benefits. Even at low doses, side effects can occur. It is best to use the lowest dose possible. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany have now demonstrated that rapamycin can be used in the laboratory to achieve the same benefits as a lifelong treatment. This opens up new possibilities for human application.
Scientists are increasingly focusing on combating the negative effects associated with ageing. Although lifestyle changes can improve the health of older adults, they are not enough to combat the diseases of old age. The repurposing of existing drugs to ‘geroprotection,’ provides an additional weapon for the prevention age-related decline. Rapamycin is the most promising anti-ageing agent. It is a cell growth inhibiter and immunosuppressant, which is usually used for cancer treatment and organ transplants. The drug can cause unwanted side effects at the clinical doses. However, to prevent age-related declines, the side effects must be minimal or absent. We wanted to know how much rapamycin we needed to take to get the same results as a lifelong treatment.
Source:
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/963155
