Rapamycin (sirolimus)
DERapamycin (Sirolimus)
Rapamycin (also called sirolimus) is a drug that blocks mTORC1, the cell's main growth switch. It is a macrolide, first approved to stop the immune system from rejecting kidney transplants and to treat a rare lung disease (lymphangioleiomyomatosis). By putting the brakes on mTORC1, it slows protein synthesis, boosts autophagy (cellular cleanup), and extends lifespan in yeast, worms, flies, and mice, replicated across many labs. If you are thinking about it for longevity, that use is still experimental. Trials are testing low, intermittent doses, but we do not yet have proof of benefit or long-term safety in healthy adults. The PEARL trial (Moel et al., Aging-US, April 2025) found safety was similar across groups. It missed its main goal (a change in visceral fat), but secondary results showed dose-dependent gains in lean mass and less pain in women taking 10 mg per week.
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Sources
- Harrison DE, Strong R, Sharp ZD et al.. (2009). Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice. *Nature*doi:10.1038/nature08221
- Moel M, Harinath G, Lee V, Nyquist A, Morgan SL, Isman A, Zalzala S. (2025). Influence of rapamycin on safety and healthspan metrics after one year: PEARL trial results. *Aging (Albany NY)*doi:10.18632/aging.206235