Launching a Study of Rapamycin in Older Patients with Gum Disease
Based on the animal data, mTOR inhibition by rapamycin is the best of the presently well studied pharmacological approaches to slow aging. Rapamycin is cheap, has decades of safety data, and produces a greater extension of life span in animal models than exercise. Sad to say, but improving on the benefits of exercise remains the low bar by which we can judge and reject the vast majority of efforts to slow the progression of aging. Human studies of rapamycin in the context of aging have yet to be conducted in any extensive manner, despite a fair amount of off-label use. So it is pleasant to see that one group has recently obtained funding to conduct a study in older people with periodontal disease; the specific condition that is the target of the study is less important than the range of data on biomarkers relevant to general health and aging that will be collected.
A clinical trial is starting to test a drug taken by many so-called longevity enthusiasts. Rapamycin was first approved by the FDA for transplant patients in the 1990s. At high doses, it suppresses the immune system. At low doses, it seems to help tamp down inflammation. It works by inhibiting a pathway in the body called mTOR, which appears to be key to healthy aging. Rapamycin is not approved for pain or anti-aging, though doctors can prescribe it off-label. Researcher Matt Kaeberlein has surveyed about 300 people who take low doses, and many report benefits. But anecdotes are no replacement for science, and that's where dental group at the University of Washington comes in. The researchers have FDA approval to test rapamycin in patients with gum disease, a common condition that tends to accelerate with age.
There is already some evidence from transplant patients that rapamycin may help improve oral health, and as part of the study, researchers will also measure changes in participants' microbiomes and their biological clocks. The study will enroll participants over the age of 50 who have gum recession. They will take the drug for eight weeks. The researchers think of gum disease as a kind of canary in the coal mine. It's linked to a higher risk of heart disease, for instance, so they may share a common root cause. The researchers have received grants to conduct this trial, which could open the door to further studies to determine whether rapamycin can help slow down other age-related diseases.