We all want our dogs to live longer. Certain compounds may hold the key to our hopes. Rapamycin is an FDA approved drug for humans after kidney transplant. As early as 1977, rapamycin was used as an immune modulator in cases of immune mediated disease and to prevent rejection post organ transplant. 1
Along the way, it was discovered that some of the mouse populations treated with rapamycin exhibited prolonged life span. More than one study has been able to prove this effect in laboratory settings with certain populations of research mice. The exact mechanism of the result has not been found. The benefit may be due to an enhancement in cellular recycling, anti-inflammatory effects and anticancer properties. 2
In 2014, a study of the anti-aging effects of Rapamycin was begun with the University of Washington’s Healthy Aging and Longevity Research Institute called The Dog Aging Project. Scientists are hopeful that the results will substantiate the optimism suggested by the mouse findings. If rapamycin can be proven effective AND safe, it may have promise for use to extend the life of pet dogs and even people.
However, rapamycin is far from a miracle drug with no side effects. It stands to reason that a drug used to manage graft rejection in transplant patients is a potent immune suppressor. Although the mice in the study were shown to have extended life span, it should be mentioned that the mice lived in a laboratory, far from the immune challenges of a normal environment. Our dogs do not.
Humans treated with rapamycin have also experienced significant side effects ranging from diarrhea, hair/nail loss and skin erosions (ulcers and rashes). 3 These consequences are possibly tolerable in humans affected by significant life altering diagnoses, but would be harder to justify in normal aging dogs, just to extend their time with us.
We want our dogs with us as long as possible, but as their guardians and best friends, we always must make the tough choices about life. Quality of life is paramount to dog lovers. Research is ongoing to find drugs with similar effects that are well tolerated in dogs and people. There is much promise in the field. Rapamycin may not be the solution, but it and other drugs created from it are bringing us closer to having a few more golden years with our best friends.
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- Can J Physiol Pharmacol.1977 Feb;55(1):48-51.Inhibition of the immune response by rapamycin, a new antifungal antibiotic. Martel RR, Klicius J, Galet S.
- J Clin Invest.2013 Mar;123(3):980-9. doi: 10.1172/JCI64099. Epub 2013 Mar 1.Rapalogs and mTOR inhibitors as anti-aging therapeutics.Lamming DW, Ye L, Sabatini DM, Baur JA.
- Mahe E, et al. Cutaneous adverse events in renal transplant recipients receiving sirolimus-based therapy. 2005;79(4):476–482. doi: 10.1097/01.TP.0000151630.25127.3A
