The definitive Nature review that put mTOR at the center of aging biology. Lays out the case that inhibiting mTOR extends lifespan across species and guards against a growing list of age-related diseases - while being candid that side effects currently block its use in healthy people. Excellent orientation map for the whole field.
| Evidence tier | D Mechanistic / in vitro / review |
| Study type | Narrative Review |
| Model system | Review (multi-species synthesis) |
| Journal | Nature |
| Year | 2013 |
| Peer reviewed | Yes |
| Source | DOI 10.1038/nature11861 · PMID 23325216 · Free full text (PMC3687363) |
Many experts in the biology of ageing believe that pharmacological interventions to slow ageing are a matter of 'when' rather than 'if'. A leading target for such interventions is the nutrient response pathway defined by the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Inhibition of this pathway extends lifespan in model organisms and confers protection against a growing list of age-related pathologies. Characterized inhibitors of this pathway are already clinically approved, and others are under development. Although adverse side effects currently preclude use in otherwise healthy individuals, drugs that target the mTOR pathway could one day become widely used to slow ageing and reduce age-related pathologies in humans.
| Intervention | Not applicable (review) |
| Target | mTOR |
| Model | Review |
| Effect | Reviews mTOR as a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease across species |