Rapamycin, an approved drug for transplant and cardiac patients, is extending the lifespan of mice by up to 20% [actually about 30%]. Scientists are exploring if it could have a similar effect on humans
Michel Samson turns 80 this month, and his goal is to change the trajectory of his life.
At 90 or even 100 years old, he’d like to be able to do household chores, have good grip strength, get up off the floor without help, and put his luggage in the overhead compartment of a plane.
“I’m interested in changing the curve of my life. For most people, as they get older, their health starts to fail. Their quality of life isn’t ideal. I believe it’s possible to change the trajectory of the last decades of one’s life.”
Based in Kentucky, Samson, a violinist who taught at the University of Louisville, tells the Irish Examiner that he’s interested in increasing his health span: the number of years he stays healthy.
He has been taking Rapamycin for the past five years, a drug popular in the US for promoting longevity and anti-ageing.
Kaeberlein estimates that the number of off-label users of Rapamycin for health-span reasons in the US is more than 10,000. “I doubt it’s over 50,000 yet, but now there are a couple of telehealth Rapamycin providers, it’s possible,” he says.