Rapamycin Longevity Survey
Rapamycin is currently the most effective pharmacological approach for directly targeting aging to increase both life and health span. The drug has been shown to improve most hallmarks of aging and to increase life span in each of the major invertebrate model organisms and some vertebrates.
Rapamycin and its analog, Everolimus, are FDA approved for human use and have been used safely for decades. The current indications for rapamycin (sirolimus/Rapamune) are for the prevention of renal transplant rejection and for the treatment of lymphangioleiomyomatosis .
There is a growing community of those who are taking rapamycin as an ‘off label’ use for longevity. We propose to collect information from this community to better understand this phenomenon as well as its risks and benefits.
Design:
Using an online survey, we propose to collect self-reported data from respondents who self-identify as taking rapamycin or an analogue for possible longevity benefits for a minimum of 12 months.
Our aims are to:
1) characterize the use of rapamycin by participants,
2) describe perceived health status and changes in health since starting the drug,
3) assess any perceived symptoms or other adverse effects, and
4) evaluate the satisfaction and acceptance of consuming rapamycin.
The study will be conducted under the auspices of the Institutional Review Board of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Electronic consent will be obtained from all respondents, with no restrictions on data use. The only identifiable data collected will be participants’ email addresses; these will be removed for de-identification upon completion of data collection and elimination of duplicate responses.
The results of the study will be published in an appropriate peer reviewed publication and be available to all participants.
Robert Lufkin, MD
Alan S. Green, MD
Mikhail Blagosklonny, MD, PhD