From Easter Island to Anti-Aging
Rapamycin's origin story reads like science fiction. In 1964, a Canadian expedition collected soil samples from Easter Island (Rapa Nui). In 1972, researcher Suren Sehgal isolated a compound from a bacterium in those samples that had potent antifungal properties.
Rapamycin powerfully inhibits mTOR (mechanistic Target Of Rapamycin), which serves as a master switch for cell growth, metabolism, and protein synthesis. By dialing down mTOR, rapamycin shifts the body's priorities from growth to maintenance.
The Animal Evidence
Rapamycin is the most robustly validated longevity intervention in animal models:
- Yeast: Extends lifespan by up to 30%
- Worms: Extends lifespan by 20-30%
- Fruit flies: Extends lifespan by 10-15%
- Mice: Extends lifespan by 9-14% (even when started late in life)
- Dogs: The Dog Aging Project has shown improved cardiac function
No other drug has been validated this consistently across this many species.
Off-Label Use in Humans
A growing community of physicians are taking low-dose rapamycin off-label for anti-aging purposes. The typical longevity dose is much lower than the immunosuppressive dose — usually 3-6 mg once weekly.
Prominent longevity physicians prescribing rapamycin include Peter Attia, MD and Alan Green, MD (who has treated hundreds of patients since 2016).
As Peter Attia has said: "If I had to bet on one molecule to extend human lifespan, it would be rapamycin."
