Why Not Take Rapamycin

Rapamycin may accelerate Alzheimer’s. After rapamycin treatment, a protein called Trem2 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2) is dramatically diminished. Trem2 is present in microglia, which are immune cells in the brain and spinal cord. Trem2 is a receptor located on the surface of the microglia, and it enables these cells to engulf and degrade β-amyloid,” said study senior author Manzoor Bhat, PhD. Loss of Trem2 in microglia impairs the vital function of amyloid degradation, which in turn causes a buildup of β-amyloid plaques.”

Part of the challenge in addressing the potential of rapamycin (or its analogs) as a pro-longevity therapeutic lies in its known clinical risks for adverse side-effects. Primary amongst these are metabolic defects that include hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance and increased incidence of new-onset type 2 diabetes. In healthy rodents, treatment with rapamycin also causes a relatively rapid, dose-dependent impairment of markers of glucose homeostasis [2].