The Study
Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice
This study is like a comparison of two groups of mice - one group got rapamycin in their food and the other didn't. Scientists watched to see how long the mice lived. The mice who got rapamycin lived longer on average. But because the researchers didn't clearly randomize which mice got the drug, we can't say for sure that the rapamycin CAUSED the longer life - there could be other factors. It's strong evidence that the two things are linked, but not proof of cause-and-effect.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists gave mice rapamycin, a drug that blocks the mTOR protein involved in cell growth and aging, starting when they were old (equivalent to ~60 human years). They wanted to see if it helps them live longer.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 518 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This is the first evidence in mammals that inhibiting mTOR signaling extends lifespan.
- 2However, it's a mouse study - human implications are uncertain and require more research.
- 3Mice fed rapamycin lived longer: females extended median lifespan by 13%, males by 9%.
- 4Maximum lifespan increased 14% in females, 9% in males.
- 5The effect was replicated at three independent labs.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nature
Year
2009
Authors
D. Harrison, R. Strong, Z. D. Sharp, James F. Nelson, C. M. Astle, K. Flurkey, N. Nadon, J. Wilkinson, K. Frenkel, C. Carter, C. Carter, Marco Pahor, Marco Pahor, M. Javors, Elizabeth Fernandez, Richard A. Miller
Related Content
Claims (9)
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.
Scientists discovered that blocking a specific cell signaling pathway called mTOR can help mammals live longer. This finding shows that the TOR pathway is involved in controlling how long mammals live.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.