Monterey, CA Researchers Looking For The Fountain Of Youth, And They May Have Found It In Rapamycin

Since the beginning of time people have been looking for the proverbial fountain of youth..  Some researchers believe they may have found something akin to this in a compound called rapamycin which seems to slow aging and the damage it can do, at least to certain cells. In the medical community, Mouse UT2598 is now viewed as a superstar.  The average lifespan for a mouse is 2.3 years but at more than 3 years old he is going strong and looks no different from his younger friends.  His fur is glossy, black and lean and he is surprisingly active considering he is about 100 years old in human years.  More impressive than what’s on the outside, however, is what’s on the inside.  His liver and heart function are those of a much younger mouse and his tendons have more spring and flexibility than they should.  There’s also less evidence than normal of tumors in his organ so he is less likely to get cancer than other mice.  In labs around the world, researchers are testing a number of drugs like rapamycin in the hopes that one day we can all be as healthy as Mouse UT2598 as we hit our stride at 100 years old.