Scientists have been uncovering the secrets of a compound discovered fifty years ago on Easter Island called rapamycin.
Produced by bacteria there, this substance appears to be a powerful life-extender and may become a transformative treatment for age-related diseases.
Although the drug label for rapamycin currently does not claim to “extend human life,” some people have already sought this medication from their doctors and take it regularly in small doses due to their desire for longevity.
The discovery of rapamycin was serendipitous, stemming from observations made about the local indigenous population on Easter Island who walked barefoot and never contracted tetanus.
Researchers suspected that there was a protective substance in the soil, which they later identified as a metabolite of Streptomyces hygroscopicus with antibacterial properties.
This compound essentially starves fungi and things around them, preventing their growth.
Arlan Richardson, a professor of biochemistry and physiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, explained to The Epoch Times that this compound inhibits cell growth by targeting TOR (target of rapamycin.
This fundamental biological molecule affects metabolism and is responsible for sensing the presence of nutrients.
When nutrients are available, TOR signals for cell growth.
However, when nutrients are scarce, cells stop growing and initiate repair, which is both healthy and necessary for life.
Rapamycin was initially used as an immunosuppressant, with higher doses found to reduce the activity of immune cells, thereby suppressing the immune system’s rejection of foreign organs.
In 1999, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved rapamycin for kidney transplant patients.
Its ability to inhibit cell growth also made it useful as an anti-cancer drug, with the FDA approving a rapamycin analog called temsirolimus for treating kidney cancer in 2007.
There is a connection between the immunosuppressive and anti-cancer effects of rapamycin.
According to Dr.
Lufkin, it appears to have a positive effect on cancer control in patients who have transplants—for example, heart transplants.
Because of immune suppression, “the most common cause of death after the transplant is not infection or organ failure but cancer related to immunosuppression.
For those interested in using rapamycin for its potential longevity benefits, some small-scale human studies suggest that it improves specific age-related markers.
However, Alessandro Bitto, an acting assistant professor in the department of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Washington, noted that while many drugs that are effective in mice ultimately fail in humans, there is still hope for rapamycin’s potential benefits in humans.
Despite having a relatively good safety record, rapamycin has been approved for human use for only a little more than twenty years, and randomized controlled trials on human longevity with rapamycin only began in 2016.
Scientists are also testing rapamycin on dogs, which mostly live with their owners and are exposed to environments closer to human living conditions.
This approach is expected to yield more compelling results.
Dr.
Maier cautioned that while rapamycin may have potential benefits for improving metabolism and extending lifespan, it can also have serious side effects.
The FDA notes that taking rapamycin at a therapeutic dosage for preventing organ transplant rejection may increase the risk of infection and certain cancers related to immunosuppression.
A review published in the journal Nature Aging in 2023 indicated that the side effects of higher doses of rapamycin in organ transplant and cancer patients include oral ulcers, gastrointestinal discomfort, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and impaired wound healing.
In summary, while there is still much to learn about rapamycin and its potential benefits for human longevity, scientists continue to study this compound and its effects on various organisms, including humans.
The results should be interpreted with caution as many more studies testing rapamycin will follow.
In the meantime, there are other strategies to antagonize the aging process, such as improving diet and exercise habits.