Enthusiasm for Rapamycin and Polypills in the Search for Ways to Slow Aging

The author of this paper is one of the more outspoken advocates in the research community when it comes to mTOR and rapamycin as a path to slowing the progression of aging. He keeps up quite the output of position papers, such as this one, which calls for immediate human trials of polypills made up of rapamycin and a brace of other drugs broadly used in treatment of age-related conditions, such as statins and metformin. I have to think that the evidence to date suggests this will be less effective than hoped, while still very plausibly being better than doing nothing, even considering the side-effects of the drugs involved. Effects in animal studies usually tend to be much more pronounced than effects in humans when it comes to slowing or preventing specific age-related diseases through pharmaceuticals. If it was the only game in town, I'd be all for it, but there are far more effective ways forward towards the effective treatment of aging as a medical condition - approaches that aim at rejuvenation, not a mere slowing of aging. Still, I think the author here has the right general idea, in that the research community should move faster, the sooner plausible approaches are trialed the better, and that we should all pitch in to help, it is just that he is advocating a poor approach with a limited upside in comparison to other methodologies. Inhibitors of mTOR, including clinically available rapalogs such as rapamycin (Sirolimus) and Everolimus, are gerosuppressa...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs