Potential benefits of rapamycin
Scientists are still investigating the use of rapamycin for longevity. They are investigating how rapamycin can either slow down the aging process or prevent age-related diseases.
Meanwhile, the function of rapamycin in extending the lifespan of many species of mouse, yeast and fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is well tested and experimented.
Anti-aging benefits
Many animal studies have been conducted over the years on the effects of rapamycin on dogs, worms, fruit flies, mice and rats, and the results show anti-aging potential. However, the beneficial effects of rapamycin in humans are still lacking and under investigation.
The antiaging effects of rapamycin in animal studies are what scientists are interested in. Rapamycin can potentially help prevent age-related diseases, improve patients' quality of life, and extend life expectancy.
In addition, many scientists believe that rapamycin can be an effective anti-aging drug if given to people before they develop age-related diseases. Rapamycin can potentially increase the health and lifespan of humans.
However, rapamycin is not a compound that will magically cure age-related diseases. It can only be a supplement to be taken alongside a healthy lifestyle and diet.
What's missing from antiaging studies involving rapamycin? It determines the true causes of aging to fully understand rapamycin's anti-aging capabilities.
Some of the main reasons why the body degenerates and develops age-related diseases are the cessation of cell division, loss of stem cells, damaged DNA and shortened telomeres, all of which are related to cellular function and threaten health and lifespan.
Increases lifespan and longevity
In terms of longevity, rapamycin has been found to increase autophagy, a process that removes unnecessary, abnormal, and damaged components in cells and protects cells from stress. In short, autophagy keeps your cells healthy.
Rapamycin can improve autophagy in the body when it inhibits mTOR. At the same time, it speeds up the process and disrupts unhealthy cell growth. As a result, the body can delay the onset of the aging process and age-related diseases, giving people a longer and healthier life. Therefore, many researchers are positive that we could use rapamycin for longevity in the future.
It is used to treat cancer
mTOR promotes cell growth and proliferation, which affects the body's function to repair cell damage by autophagy. When this happens, the body can develop various diseases, including cancer, which is uncontrolled cell growth.
Interestingly, rapamycin's ability to inhibit mTOR may also affect tumor proliferation by disrupting it. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin induces tumor cell apoptosis, or cell death, and angiogenesis, the process of supplying tumors with the network of blood vessels they need to obtain nutrients.
Rapalogs, which are derivatives of rapamycin, are approved in the United States for the treatment of certain types of cancer, particularly kidney cancer.
Helps with skin aging
The most visible sign of aging can be seen in the health of the skin. Rapamycin creams are scientifically manufactured and prescribed to treat certain skin conditions such as vascular anomalies, facial angiofibroma, and psoriasis in children and young adults. In addition, rapamycin can also potentially reduce the signs of aging on the skin, including sun spots and wrinkles.
Research suggests that topical application of rapamycin can reduce sagging skin and photoaging and increase dermal volume on the hands, thereby slowing the skin aging process. However, a topical rapamycin cream to be added to cosmetics may be far from reality today.
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