Although the newspapers say that the anti-ageing drug rapamycin is being tested to extend the lives of dogs and possibly humans, I am going to state that if it works for dogs and humans it must work for cats. I must, therefore introduce cats into this article.
It seems to be a kind of Holy Grail drug because a lot of people think that we should extend our lives but I’m not so sure. However, in the case of dogs, it would be useful to extend their lives because so often a dog’s lifespan is really quite short. I’m referring to the purebred dogs such as the popular French Bulldog which has a really short lifespan thanks to the 21 inherited health conditions to which it is predisposed. Sad that. I think we can improve the lifespan of these purebred dogs by making them healthier and that can be achieved by improving breeding standards as dictated by the dog associations and clubs.
RELATED: Infographic of longest and shortest lifespans of UK dog breeds.
To return to rapamycin which is in the news today as an “anti-ageing drug [which] seems to do the trick for old dogs” (The Times).
The headline refers to a trial being conducted by scientists at the moment which could help dogs live longer and more healthily; it might extend lifespan and ‘healthspan‘.
The trial is being conducted by May Reed from the University of Washington, USA. She has recruited 120 dogs for her trial. She needs 400 more. Provided all goes well she believes that after 2025 they will know whether the drug can add a year onto the lifespan of a typical dog companion.
Her trial is part of a collaboration called the Dog Ageing Project. It is believed that the drug might also work on humans…and cats (mustn’t forget them)!
Rapamycin has been around for quite a while but it’s gained significant attention recently in the field of anti-ageing research. The drug is derived from a bacterium called Streptomyces hygroscopicus which was discovered on Easter Island which is also known as Rapa Nui hence the name of the drug “rapamycin”.
The drug was initially researched as an immunosuppressant; used in transplant surgery and its effectiveness in extending lifespan was discovered in studies on the immune system.
Researchers found that it extended the lifespan of mice, flies, worms and yeast. It has the ability to regulate the immune system and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is also believed to alter metabolic pathways by mediating the inhibition of the mTOR pathway. In mice it increased lifespan by 25% or more.
Further studies have shown that it has similar effects in primates which encourages the researchers to believe it may be effective in humans. The study was conducted on middle-aged rhesus monkeys which showed that it extended their lifespan and reduced incidences of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Of course, it has the potential for side effects and risks which need to be evaluated.
A US company called Loyal is involved in its development and they passed a hurdle this week in bringing the drug to the marketplace.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the drug their seal of approval in stating that it has a “reasonable expectation of effectiveness”; a formal accreditation.
It’s an important step in bringing rapamycin to the market. My understanding is that it will be used on animals initially during which its effectiveness will be fully evaluated.
Here is some more on drugs:
