I’m interested in people’s thoughts on a recent study in mice that showed those with shorter telomeres saw accelerated aging with rapamycin.
This may not translate to humans and it was just one study, but as an individual with shorter RTEL1 telomeres from a DNA test is there anything to be concerned about?
Except from study:
An mTOR inhibitor is rapamycin, a drug that prolongs life in yeasts, flies, worms and mice, and that significantly reduces the incidence of cancer in mice with normal telomeres.
The researchers wanted to test whether rapamycin could also extend the life of mice with short telomeres, but they found that the opposite happens: they age up to 50% faster. This basic finding allowed the authors to discover that mTOR is, in fact, important for the survival of mice with short telomeres, and therefore blocking it has a negative effect.