Elixir of youth on primates showed his safety
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Rapamycin is an immunosuppressive drug, in which a few years ago, scientists discovered the ability to prolong the life of rodents. According to scientists, this preparation is a kind of elixir of youth, experiments showed that regular intake prolongs the life of rodents, then the discovery aroused great interest among the entire scientific community.
Studies of the new drug were carried out in 2009, while specialists could not say whether Rapamycin is safe for long-term use or if long-term administration can lead to the development of metabolic adverse reactions.
Since 2009, the action of Rapamycin has been studied in monkeys, and recently scientists have stated that a unique remedy for aging with prolonged use can not present a danger to the body and causes minimal side effects.
The study involved healthy primates, to which scientists injected the appropriate dose and weight of the drug over several years. As a result, the scientists found that the drug not only does not cause strong metabolic reactions, but is well tolerated by primates. The lead author of the research project, Corina Ross, noted that experiments with monkeys, which acted as a scientific model of aging people, made it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment (which in fact looks like an interference in human nature). One of the researchers who took part in the work notes that the results with primates are really encouraging, the primates, despite some similarities with people, are unique and different from the human model, but it is the primates that will allow us to assess the safety and effectiveness of Rapamycin.
The National Institute for Aging has praised the work of the Corinne Ross research group and awarded a team of specialists a $ 2.7 million grant to conduct new research in this field, which according to some sources will begin later this month.
According to the chief specialist of the research department of molecular medicine at Barshhop University, the work of his colleagues is undoubtedly an important step on the way to developing new methods for prolonging a person's youth, delaying age-related diseases, improving health and elderly patients.
Rapamycin is now actively used in transplantology as an immunosuppressant. The drug helps to prevent the rejection of donor organs after the operation. Despite the fact that the drug is widely used in medicine, scientists continue to explore its properties. It should be noted that in addition to prolonging life Rapamycin increases the risk of developing diabetes.
Experts have found that in the body the drug has an effect on two proteins, one of which helps prolong life, and the other can provoke the development of diabetes. Then the scientists said that if you can block the effect of the drug on the second protein, the probability of side effects will decrease several times.
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