Science podcast: the story behind the 'longevity pill' rapamycin

The drug Rapamycin is used to prevent organ transplant rejection and treat certain cancers. But the drug also appears to impact ageing thanks to a discovery by a Basel-based molecular biologist's 30 years ago. In the latest episode of ‘The Swiss Connection’ science podcast our healthcare reporter Jessica Davis Plüss speaks to Basel-based molecular biologist Michael Hall who discovered the gene Target of Rapamycin (TOR). His research is widely considered to have transformed our understanding of ageing, and potentially how to slow it. Study after study in animals shows that when you inhibit TOR, which was eventually renamed mTOR, you extend lifespan. Rapamycin is now being tested in low doses in humans against certain age-related disease like Alzheimer’s. Even without the scientific evidence, hundreds of people are said to be taking rapamycin off-label for potential longevity benefits. Join Jessica Davis Plüss on the new season of ‘The Swiss Connection’ to learn more about Michael ...