mTOR is a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease

Johnson SC, Rabinovitch PS, Kaeberlein M · 2013 · Nature · Atlas ID JOH2013

What this study shows

The landmark 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.

Abstract

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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.

Read the full abstract on PubMed →

At a glance

Evidence type	R Review — secondary literature, not a new result Marked R because it is a review or synthesis of existing evidence rather than a new primary result; that is a different form of writing, not a weaker one.
Study type	Narrative Review
Model system	Review (multi-species synthesis)
Journal	Nature
Year	2013
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-07-29
Source	DOI 10.1038/nature11861 · PMID 23325216 · Free full text (PMC3687363)

Extracted findings

These fields were extracted from the paper with AI assistance and have not been checked against the source. Read them as a pointer into the paper, not as curated claims; where they disagree with the curated summary above, the curated summary stands.

Intervention	Not applicable (review)
Target	mTOR
Model	Review
Effect	Reviews mTOR as a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease across species

In the Atlas

Cite this paper

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Johnson, S. C., Rabinovitch, P. S., & Kaeberlein, M. (2013). mTOR is a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11861

@article{JOH2013,
  author       = {Johnson, S. C. and Rabinovitch, P. S. and Kaeberlein, M.},
  title        = {{mTOR is a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease}},
  journal      = {Nature},
  year         = {2013},
  doi          = {10.1038/nature11861},
  note         = {PMID: 23325216},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper.

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record JOH2013) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/JOH2013/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_JOH2013,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record JOH2013},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/JOH2013/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}

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