by Impact Journals LLC

Relations between aging and age-related diseases (ARDs). Credit: Aging (2023). DOI: 10.18632/aging.204920

A new research perspective titled “Towards disease-oriented dosing of rapamycin for longevity: does aging exist or only age-related diseases?” has been published in Aging.

In his new research perspective, Dr. Mikhail V. Blagosklonny from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center discusses aging and rapamycin (Sirolimus)—the only drug that consistently extends life span in countless animal studies in all species tested. He writes that individuals taking rapamycin and those not taking it will ultimately succumb to age-related diseases. However, if administered in disease-oriented dosages for an extended period of time, individuals taking rapamycin may experience a delayed onset of such diseases, and live longer.

“The goal is to delay a particular disease that is expected to be life-limiting in a particular person,” says Dr. Blagosklonny.

Age-related diseases, quasi-programmed during development, progress at varying rates in different individuals. Rapamycin is a prophylactic anti-aging drug that decelerates early development of age-related diseases. Dr. Blagosklonny further discusses the hyperfunction theory of quasi-programmed diseases, which challenges the need for the traditional concept of aging itself.

“I emphasize that aging is not programmed, but in contrast, quasi-programmed. ‘Quasi’ means pseudo; seemingly; apparently but not really. Some scientists deliberately represent hyperfunction theory as theory of programmed aging. It’s the opposite. Quasi-program is a continuation of a real program. Quasi-program has no intent, no purpose and it is always harmful,” concludes Dr. Blagosklonny.