Rapamycin Longevity Treatment Looks Promising, but Questions Remain

• Older people are seeking off-Label rapamycin longevity treatments, claiming they outperform peers and defy typical aging expectations.
• A drug already in use for saving the lives of cardiac and organ transplant patients shows promise for its longevity and healthy aging potential.
• Rapamycin turns down a cell growth control switch called mTOR, suggesting it could slow aging in people and reduce harmful inflammation.
• Ongoing studies, including human trials, explore rapamycin’s effects on aging, muscle performance, and delaying the onset of age-related diseases.

Redefine Aging: Renewed Quest for a Long, Healthy Life

Is 70 really the new 50? Many older people think so, refusing to accept the typical state of decline some of their peers encounter in the so-called twilight years. Why do they think they can change the trajectory of those later years when others expect to experience failing health? The secret is their belief in a drug called rapamycin or Rapa.

“I’m interested in changing the curve of my life. For most people, as they get older, their health starts to fail. Their quality of life isn’t ideal. I believe it’s possible to change the trajectory of the last decades of one’s life.”

80-year-old Michel Samson

Samson—who’s taken 5mg of Rapamycin for five years—adds further:

“I go to a gym frequented by a lot of people my age. And I’m just more limber. I’m more awake in my mental capacity. I don’t think it’s conceivable I’d be like that without Rapamycin.”.

Points to note: Not everyone can access rapamycin longevity treatments—yet. Human trials on Rapa as a “longevity drug” are small-scale and anecdotal. Lastly, Rapa’s long-term safety and potential side effects (for anti-aging purposes) are still an area of ongoing research.

About Rapamycin longevity and Why it Matters

The early discovery of rapamycin makes for an incredible story. It began back in the 1960s, with a multinational group of scientists on an expedition at Easter Island. Their mission was to study the impact of environmental stress and change on the Island’s inhabitants and ecosystem. One of the scientists took soil samples, almost as an afterthought, which were later analyzed for antimicrobial compounds.

In 1974, a microbiologist called Suren Sehgal discovered the unique substance in the soil sample. Sehgal aptly named the compound rapamycin after Rapa Nui, the indigenous name for Easter Island. Even though scientist collected those firs soil samples almost half a century ago, we’re still learning more about the potential benefits of Rapa.

Rapamycin’s Approved Uses, 2024

Doctors and other medical professionals have used rapamycin, or Rapa, to treat patients with serious health conditions for well over 20 years. The drug’s specific use depends on the country. You may also see it referred to as Sirolimus or Rapamune.

This table summarizes the drug’s current uses to treat patients with serious conditions.

Approved Medical Uses	Clinical Application
Kidney Transplant Rejection	Prevents the body from rejecting kidney transplants
Cardiac Stent Intervention	Helps to prevent coronary artery stent rejection
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis	Treats a lung disease that causes the formation of cysts

In certain cases, doctors agree to issue off-label prescriptions for the drug. There’s now a small group of older human Guinea pigs trialing Rapa for longevity and well-being.

Off-Label Rapamycin Longevity Tests

Until recently, most people knew very little about rapamycin unless it was used to treat them for a serious health disorder. But some doctors are finally using it for “off-label use,” for purposes not yet officially approved. This process requires a doctor’s best judgment based on available evidence and in the best interests of their patients. Off-label use can also be quite costly compared to approved uses.

Matt Kaeberlein (Univ. of Washington affiliate) explored off-label Rapamycin use in a 2023 paper: Evaluation of off-label rapamycin use to promote healthspan in 333 adults.

“Several physicians are now prescribing Rapamycin off-label as a preventative therapy to maintain health span,”

the 2023 paper reported

How Rapamycin Works as an Anti-Aging Drug

A protein called mTOR aids cell growth and helps defend against infections. But when mTOR is too active, it can raise inflammation and speed up aging. That’s where rapamycin comes in. How? Rapa lowers this risk by reducing mTOR activity. Less activity starts a bodily function called autophagy, a self-repairing function that results in less inflammation and slower aging.

The Road Ahead for Rapamycin Longevity Research

Previous studies have already shown that Rapa has potential health and longevity benefits in animals. Now, researchers are eager to see if these gains can be transferred to humans. Early, small-scale trials are already underway, BUT it’s time to step up large-scale human tests. Only then will we know for sure whether rapamycin works in the same way for people as it does in animals.