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Rapamycin might not be an alternative for calorie restriction

Failed to mimic dietary restriction pathways on extending lifespan in progeroid mice

27-Jan-2021

Key points from article :

Rapamycin reliably extends lifespan in a range of organisms.

It does not achieve this via the same pathways as caloric restriction.

Caloric or dietary restriction (CR) is the most robust, effective method known to increase lifespan.

Rapamycin emerged as CR mimetic drug without the hassle of counting calories.

Researchers used progeroid mice to investigate whether rapamycin really is a CR mimetic.

They are ideal for testing a CR mimetic, since even a small effect should be detectable.

Young Ercc1Δ/- mice were fed rapamycin-supplemented food, no increase in lifespan was detected.

Repeated the experiment in older mice and still found no increase.

Varying the dosage didn’t lead to a longer (or shorter) lifespan.

Ercc1Δ/- mice fed rapamycin looked similar to those on a control diet and different from those on a CR diet.

Genetically altered mTOR signaling in Ercc1Δ/- mice and still found no effect.

Research by Oncode Institute published in Aging Cell.

Mentioned in this article:

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Aging Cell

Scientific journal devoted to age related diseases

Oncode Institute

Cancer research institute based in Netherlands

Topics mentioned on this page:
Supplements, Calorie Restriction