For decades, scientists have been trying to find a way to extend human lifespan, and while studies have shown that select lab animals can live longer by eating less, they haven’t conducted these studies on humans. A century-old study on lab rats has shown that mice who eat less often outlive their fed counterparts, but it can be almost impossible for most humans to follow a permanent diet.
However, a new study by the School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, claims that a combination of FDA-approved drugs that mimic the effects of dieting might be the answer to a longer life. The two drugs – Rapamycin and Metformin are known to extend the lifespan of mice as much as up to 30 per cent.
Rapamycin, which was first found in the 1970s in bacteria living on the Easter Island soil, has been traditionally used as a powerful immunosuppressant to prevent organ-transplant rejection. The drug works by disabling a particular switch which is used to inform cells when a cell has an abundance of nutrients. As for Metformin, it is a synthetic compound that is found in French Lilac or Goat’s Rue, which doctors prescribe to control sugar levels in type 2 diabetes.
Since both of these drugs are used to sense the nutrient and energy levels in the human body, biologists wanted to see if the combination of these drugs could have the same effect as eating less. To know more about their effects, scientists say they examined thousands of existing studies and came across 167 studies that focused on eight vertebrate species, like fish and monkeys, which offered them a detailed insight into how these drugs affected animals.
Out of three strategies that help with longevity, eating less, taking Rapamycin and consuming Metformin, scientists say the most dependable way to increase the lifespan is to eat less, irrespective of the animal’s sex. They also noted that the second most effective strategy to increase lifespan was to take Rapamycin, while Metformin had no substantial effect. However, scientists did say that the effect of Rapamycin on animals wasn’t consistent, as, in some cases, studies have shown that eating less or taking Rapamycin reduced an animal’s lifespan.
Another thing to note here is that most of these positive effects were on mice and rats, which have genes similar to humans but are not exactly the same. And since Rapamycin does come with some side effects, like reduced immunity, scientists are now trying to see if lower doses of the drug offer some advantages without the side effects.
According to an ongoing Rapamycin trial on humans, it was noted that lower doses of the drug might help increase the lifespan. But, as of now, the trial is still in progress and will take a few years before the results are out.
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