Giving mice the drug rapamycin makes them live longer, but not because it stops particular diseases. Instead, it seems to slow down the basic aging process itself.

18

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

18

Community contributions welcome

18

Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice

Randomized Controlled Trial

Animal

2009 Jul 16

The study fed rapamycin to mice and found that the types of diseases causing death were the same between treated and control mice, suggesting rapamycin extends lifespan by slowing aging itself rather than by preventing specific illnesses.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice

Score: 18

DOI: 10.1038/nature08221

Similar Assertions

A drug called rapamycin helped mice live longer - males lived about 9% longer and females lived about 14% longer when they started taking the drug in late adulthood.

18

1

85%

A drug called rapamycin helps mice live longer, and scientists have confirmed this works in three different labs - the results show both male and female mice benefit.

18

0

84%

Scientists gave mice a drug called rapamycin when they were middle-aged (around 270 days old) and found that both male and female mice lived longer compared to mice that didn't get the drug.

18

0

83%

Giving old mice the drug rapamycin when they're about 600 days old helps them live longer - female mice lived about 14% longer and male mice about 9% longer than mice that didn't get the drug.

18

0

82%

Giving old mice rapamycin in their food when they're about 60 in human years helps them live longer - males lived 13% longer and females 9% longer on average.

18

0

82%