Key points from article :
Brian Kennedy is working towards a world where healthy supercentenarians are commonplace.
Research at the Kennedy Lab is focused on
1. understanding the biology underlying the aging processes and
2. finding ways to translate results into therapies applicable to humans that can delay, prevent and treat aging and the vast array of diseases that come with it.
Present work is focused on the mTOR pathway to determine in which tissues it influences mammalian aging and how long-lasting any effects are.
The mechanistic target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is one of the four pathways that make up metabolism (IGF-1, mTOR, sirtuins, and AMP).
A lower level of mTOR activity increases lifespan in model organisms, such as mice.
"Rapamycin is very effective, but it does have side effects, and that narrows the therapeutic window in which you can give the drug", says Brian Kennedy.
"Derivatives of rapamycin work even better, and the first generation of drugs look promising on their own," he added.
