Targeting the biology of aging with mTOR inhibitors.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing preclinical mouse models, early clinical trials, and theoretical development of mTOR inhibitors.
PubMed 37142830 · doi:10.1038/s43587-023-00416-y
What was done
The authors synthesized literature on the effects of rapamycin on lifespan and healthspan in wild-type mice and mouse models of human disease. They reviewed clinical trials examining the safety and efficacy of existing mTOR inhibitors for aging-related conditions and discussed emerging strategies for selective mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibition.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings or specific effect estimates. It summarizes qualitative observations that rapamycin promotes health and longevity in diverse model organisms, notes clinical efforts evaluating existing mTOR inhibitors for age-related diseases, and highlights ongoing efforts to engineer more selective mTORC1 inhibitors.
Why it matters
mTOR inhibition represents one of the most robust preclinical longevity interventions, and this review outlines the translational path and challenges required to move mTOR-targeted drugs into clinical care for age-associated conditions.
Limits
As a narrative review, it presents no original empirical data, quantitative meta-analyses, or systematic literature search parameters. Clinical translation remains constrained by the adverse-effect profile of non-selective mTOR inhibition.
Cited by
- supports Animals with higher mTOR activity have shorter lifespans than animals with less active mTOR.