Oliver's mTOR Atlas Evidence Platform
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Ten direct answers to the questions people most often ask about mTOR, rapamycin, and longevity – each labelled with the same evidence codes used throughout the Atlas, and each linking back to the primary studies behind it.

All 10 answers

Does rapamycin extend lifespan in humans?
79 rapamycin studies labelled by the kind of study behind each – what's proven in mice, what's only measured as biomarkers in humans, and what's still an open question.

mTORC1 vs mTORC2 – what's the difference?
mTOR forms two distinct complexes with different jobs and different drug sensitivity. What each does, backed by 188 studies, each labelled by the kind of study behind it.

What are mTOR inhibitors? The full list, by mechanism
Rapalogs vs ATP-competitive TORKinibs vs bi-steric inhibitors – every class of mTOR inhibitor, with the Atlas study that established each.

What are rapamycin's side effects?
Rapamycin's side-effect profile differs sharply by dose and context – transplant immunosuppression vs. low-dose aging trials. What the Atlas's studies actually measured.

Is autophagy actually required for the lifespan benefit of mTOR inhibition?
Raising autophagy is enough to extend mouse lifespan, and worms and flies need it for the benefit of TOR inhibition. Whether mammals need it for rapamycin's effect has never been tested.

How is rapamycin dosed in the longevity studies?
Continuous vs. intermittent, early vs. late-life – the actual dosing schedules behind rapamycin's mouse lifespan data, and why dosing is still an open question in humans.

What is mTOR?
mTOR in plain language: what it is, what it does, and how a soil bacterium from Easter Island led to its discovery – with the Atlas's 108 mTOR-specific studies behind it.

Rapamycin vs metformin – how do they compare for longevity?
Two very different mechanisms, two very different evidence bases – how rapamycin's direct mTOR inhibition compares to metformin's indirect, AMPK-mediated route.

Are sirolimus and everolimus the same drug?
Everolimus is a chemically modified derivative of sirolimus (rapamycin), not the same molecule – here's exactly what differs and why it matters clinically.

How does mTOR connect to cancer?
From a genetic proof-of-concept disease to three FDA-approved cancer indications – how mTOR hyperactivation drives tumors, and where mTOR inhibitors are already standard treatment.

Also see

Glossary of mTOR terms · Browse all studies and topics

Open in the Atlas explorer

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