Research
Hormonal
Pharmacologic inhibition of the mTORC1 pathway using rapamycin extends lifespan across multiple species, though its use in humans is limited by side effects like immunosuppression and metabolic dysfunction.
While rapamycin extends lifespan in animals, its side effects make it a poor choice for healthy humans. Instead, focus on lifestyle factors like caloric restriction or exercise, which naturally modulate the mTOR pathway without the severe risks of pharmaceutical inhibition.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Rapamycin extends life span in all of these species and is thus touted as the most widely tested and efficacious pharmacotherapy for aging that is currently known... it is unlikely to be of use in increasing longevity in healthy subjects due to its diverse and still-emerging side effects... including hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance.
Why this rating
Strong genetic evidence in yeast, flies, worms, and rodents; human data is observational or indirect (metformin analogy).
Source
Coming of age: molecular drivers of aging and therapeutic opportunities
Christopher B. Newgard et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2013
DOI 10.1172/jci68833
narrative_reviewCited 185×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Cellular senescence and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) contribute to aging and age-related diseases by promoting chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction.Good
- Caloric restriction (CR) extends lifespan in many species, but its benefits in humans are uncertain and potentially offset by increased mortality risk associated with low body weight.Moderate
- Metformin, a common diabetes drug, inhibits mTORC1 and increases longevity in model organisms, with observational data suggesting it may decrease all-cause mortality in humans.Moderate
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