mTOR is a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease

SC Johnson, PS Rabinovitch, M Kaeberlein - Nature, 2013 - nature.com
Nature, 2013nature.com
Many experts in the biology of ageing believe that pharmacological interventions to slow
ageing are a matter of'when'rather than'if'. A leading target for such interventions is the
nutrient response pathway defined by the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR).
Inhibition of this pathway extends lifespan in model organisms and confers protection
against a growing list of age-related pathologies. Characterized inhibitors of this pathway
are already clinically approved, and others are under development. Although adverse side …
Abstract
Many experts in the biology of ageing believe that pharmacological interventions to slow ageing are a matter of 'when' rather than 'if'. A leading target for such interventions is the nutrient response pathway defined by the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Inhibition of this pathway extends lifespan in model organisms and confers protection against a growing list of age-related pathologies. Characterized inhibitors of this pathway are already clinically approved, and others are under development. Although adverse side effects currently preclude use in otherwise healthy individuals, drugs that target the mTOR pathway could one day become widely used to slow ageing and reduce age-related pathologies in humans.
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