Brad Stanfield remortgaged his house to get this trial over the line, which would make anyone invested in getting a positive result: but it didn’t get one and, true to character, he tells it straight:
Dr Brad Stanfield (@BradStanfieldMD)
Our Rapamycin & Exercise clinical trial has just been published!
The topline result?
Rapamycin didn't help. Instead, it may have made things worse.
Here's what we found 🧵
Frustratingly, the team found that rapamycin probably slightly attenuates the beneficial effects of exercise in an untrained population of older adults. This was a small trial, and maybe there was an issue with the protocol…but it’s still a shame to get a negative result.
When I posted this to X, I got loads of replies that this was unsurprising because rapamycin works by blocking mTOR and mTOR is needed for muscle growth. Why did Brad remortgage his house to do this obviously stupid trial?!
Well, as he and probably the world expert in rapa for longevity Matt Kaeberlein explain in this great YouTube video: it’s not quite as simple as that. Rapamycin does have animal evidence for muscular benefits, there’s some evidence of over-activation of mTOR in old age which this could help, and rapamycin doesn’t only affect mTOR. This study is another piece in quite a complicated puzzle! (One could also imagine reduced inflammation, overall ‘reduced biological age’ in some other way…biology is hard!)
Of course what we really need is a proper lifespan and healthspan trial for rapamycin—but that would probably cost $50–100M. This isn’t a lot of money in the scheme of things, and it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the potential benefits which run into the tens of trillions of dollars…but it’s more than any one drug company is likely to stump up for an out-of-patent drug, or heroic doctor/YouTuber can crowdfund and self-fund.
This video is well worth your time: two great scientists and communicators having a really detailed, honest, knowledgeable discussion of the strengths and weaknesses.
Thanks both for all your efforts!