Two Mammals' Longevity Boosted

Transplant Drug Lengthens Lives of Mice, and Fewer Calories Benefit Monkeys

By KEITH J. WINSTEIN

WSJ

A study published Wednesday found that rapamycin, a drug used in organ transplants, increased the life span of mice by 9% to 14%, the first definitive case in which a chemical has been shown to extend the life span of normal mammals.

Anti-aging researchers also expect a second study, to be released this week, will show that sharply cutting the calorie intake of monkeys extends their lives substantially. The experiment is said to be the first technique shown to retard aging in primates.

Photo: Jeff Miller/University of Wisconsin-Madison

Rhesus monkeys, 27-year-old Canto, left, and Owen, 29, are among the oldest surviving subjects in a study of the links between diet and aging.

The prospect of a reliable human longevity pill is still distant. A commentary released with the rapamycin study strongly cautioned against taking the drug to prolong life because of potentially deadly side effects. Rapamycin suppresses the immune system and carries strong warnings about the resulting risk of infections and death.

But the mouse and monkey findings appear to mark the most substantial scientific progress yet in the search for ways to extend human life spans -- once viewed as a fringe area of study.

(More here.)