MICHEL MARTIN, host:
A clinical trial is starting to test a drug that many so-called longevity buffs are taking, and NPR’s Allison Aubrey explains why a dentist is leading the research.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: A few years ago, a scientist named Matt Kaeberlein had pain in his shoulder and was diagnosed with frozen shoulder.
Matt Kaberlein: It was really bad. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t go throw balls with my kids.
AUBREY: The doctor recommended physical therapy and said recovery could take a year.
Kaberlein: And I thought, I can’t continue this way for another year. I knew there were drugs that are very effective at reducing inflammation that comes with aging, and I wondered if that would work.
AUBREY: Kaebelline is a biologist and co-founder of a project testing a drug called rapamycin in dogs. The drug has been shown to extend the lifespan of lab animals, and Kaebelline knew some longevity experts who were taking it experimentally. Kaebelline was a little skeptical that the drug would work on shoulders, but she decided to give it a try.
Kaeberlein: It worked. I’m not kidding. Within 10 weeks, I had 95% range of motion back and the pain was completely gone. And the pain hasn’t come back.
AUBREY: Rapamycin was first approved by the FDA for transplant patients in the 1990s. In high doses, it suppresses the immune system. In lower doses, it appears to help reduce inflammation. It works by inhibiting a pathway in the body called mTOR, which may be key to healthy aging.
Kaeberlein: I can’t deny the placebo effect, but I’m pretty sure it was real.
AUBREY: Rapamycin isn’t approved for pain relief or anti-aging, but doctors can prescribe it off-label. Kaeberlein has studied about 300 people taking low doses, and many of them report benefits, but anecdotes are no substitute for science. That’s where a dentist at the University of Washington comes in: Dr. Jonathan Ang has FDA approval to test rapamycin in patients with periodontal disease, a common condition that tends to worsen with age.
Jonathan Ang: We hope that rapamycin can target the underlying cause, aging, and improve symptoms for patients with periodontal disease.
AUBREY: There’s already some evidence from transplant patients that this drug may improve oral health. And as part of the study, Anne will also measure changes in participants’ microbiomes and circadian clocks. The study will enroll participants who are 50 years of age or older and have gum recession. Participants will take the drug for eight weeks.
AN: If the results show it’s safe and actually effective, then that’s direct evidence that targeting something systemically can actually improve oral health.
AUBREY: He says he thinks of gum disease as a kind of canary in the coal mine. For example, gum disease has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, so maybe there’s a common cause.
AN: So, we predict that if we can actually target the underlying biology, we may be able to address many of the other underlying symptoms that occur with periodontal disease, namely the influence of the microbiome as well as inflammatory pathways.
AUBREY: It underlies many diseases associated with aging. Because rapamycin is a generic drug, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to fund new research. Ann has received a grant to conduct this trial, which could pave the way for further studies to look at whether rapamycin can help slow the progression of other age-related diseases.
Allison Aubrey, NPR News.
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