Compound or practice · Supplement
Rapamycin (Sirolimus)
A prescription mTOR inhibitor that extends lifespan in animals like nothing else — and the most serious off-label longevity experiment in humans.
- Overall grade
- Grade B
- Last revised
- 2
- graded outcomes
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
1 at grade A · 1 at grade D — 2 graded rows
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Lifespan (animals)Evidence grade A
Multiple species
Largehigh
- Human longevityEvidence grade D
No outcome data yet
Unclearlow
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Human longevity (grade D).
- Caution with Grapefruit: CYP3A4 inhibition raises rapamycin levels substantially.
Interactions
Documented pairings with supplements and medicines. A medicine on this list is a conversation for whoever prescribes it.
GrapefruitCaution
CYP3A4 inhibition raises rapamycin levels substantially.
The evidence in words
What it is
Rapamycin is an approved immunosuppressant (transplant, some cancers) being explored off-label at intermittent low doses for longevity.
How it works
It inhibits mTOR, the growth-and-nutrient-sensing pathway; dialing mTOR down mimics aspects of caloric restriction and boosts autophagy.
What the evidence shows
Rapamycin extends lifespan across yeast, worms, flies and mice — among the most robust longevity findings in biology. Human longevity data are absent; intermittent-dosing trials for immune aging and specific conditions are ongoing. This is an active-drug experiment, not a supplement.
Safety & interactions
Prescription-only for good reason: immunosuppression, mouth ulcers, impaired glucose tolerance, and lipid changes. Off-label longevity use should only happen under a knowledgeable physician. grapefruit — CYP3A4 inhibition raises rapamycin levels substantially.
Bottom line
The strongest lifespan-extending molecule known in animals, and a genuine frontier in human aging research — but a serious immunosuppressant drug, not a self-prescribed supplement.
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Rapamycin (Sirolimus) for Human longevityEvidence grade D — No outcome data yetEvidence grade D
- Rapamycin (Sirolimus) for Lifespan (animals)Evidence grade A — Multiple speciesEvidence grade A
- Rapamycin (Sirolimus): side effects, safety & interactionsPrescription-only for good reason: immunosuppression, mouth ulcers, impaired glucose tolerance, and lipid changes. Off-lEvidence grade B
- ErgothioneineA mushroom-derived antioxidant your body has a dedicated transporter for — a 'longevity vitamin' candidate with association, not proof.Evidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.