Though more studies are needed, preliminary research has revealed rapamycin, an immunosuppressant drug, may delay menopause and fight endometriosis.
Although the transition into menopause is a natural process, it can usher in a collection of challenging symptoms. While hot flashes, mood swings, and low libido can be frustrating to deal with, there are longer-term concerns associated with menopause that may impact a woman's health.
For example, being post-menopausal can increase the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and stroke. While menopause is inevitable, researchers have looked into the possibility of slowing or reversing the process to delay the risks of these and other conditions.
Some social media users have brought up this topic on platforms like Reddit, sparking discussions about potential treatments to delay menopause and maintain fertility.
Menopause delayal
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Recent studies have suggested that melatonin therapy and ovarian rejuvenation may temporarily delay or reverse menopause. However, rapamycin, a drug initially developed as an immunosuppressant, has also gained attention for its potential to influence aging and menopause.
The latest research on rapamycin for menopause
Rapamycin is an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent organ rejection in people who have undergone kidney transplantation. However, scientists believe the medication may inhibit the mTOR pathway, which is involved in cellular growth and metabolism and is thought to play a role in aging and age-related diseases.
Previous research on mice, flies, and worms suggests that rapamycin can promote longevity. Yet, studies investigating its anti-aging benefits for humans and the potential to impact menopause are only beginning to emerge.
For example, researchers are conducting an ongoing clinical trial investigating whether rapamycin can slow ovarian aging. Results of their initial randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial showed that low-dose rapamycin (5mg per week) could potentially slow ovarian aging by 20%, which could delay menopause by five years.
Participants in the study who took rapamycin also experienced improvements in their overall health, memory, energy levels, and skin and hair quality.
In addition, the Participatory Evaluation of Aging With Rapamycin for Longevity (PEARL) study, a trial evaluating rapamycin for aging, has also shown promising results for female participants.
A preprint of the study results, which has not been peer-reviewed, showed that adult women who took 10mg of rapamycin per week experienced increased lean tissue mass and improved social functioning, pain, and overall quality of life.
In a webinar discussing the trial results recently posted on Reddit, the researchers said that one female participant also had a 15% increase in bone mineral density after two years on rapamycin.
PEARL Trial Results Overview (Participatory Evaluation of Aging with Rapamycin for Longevity) | Link to Preprint in Comments
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PEARL trial clinical investigator Dr. Sajad Zalzala, Co-Founder and Medical Director of AgelessRx, tells Healthnews the study demonstrated benefits, particularly in post-menopausal women, who traditionally face accelerated age-related decline.
Since the PEARL trial only included 40 women between the ages of 50 and 77, Zalzala says the research team's goal is to continue investigating rapamycin in larger studies involving more participants.
"We’d like to dive deeper into the response differences between individuals – for example, why is it that some people benefit exponentially from rapamycin whereas others have less noticeable benefits?" Zalzala explains.
The team also plans to investigate further why there are significant differences in blood rapamycin levels between populations and if these variances have any health implications.
"Our goal is to get a comprehensive understanding of rapamycin's effects using measurements of all sorts," Zalzala tells Healthnews. "With further studies, we hope to find ways to help patients identify doses that are the most optimal for their unique health profiles and backgrounds."
Rapamycin for endometriosis
Scientists have also investigated rapamycin's impact on women's health conditions such as endometriosis. For example, a study published this year found that women with endometriosis treated with the drug showed improved pregnancy outcomes after in vitro fertilization (IVF), with higher rates of fertilization, implantation, and pregnancy.
In an earlier study, researchers found that rapamycin inhibited the ability of endometrial tissues to invade surrounding tissues in laboratory experiments. In light of the findings, the study's authors suggest that rapamycin may have potential as a prevention and treatment option for people with endometriosis.
Despite the encouraging results of these and other studies, more research is needed in humans to fully understand the potential benefits and safety of rapamycin for women's health, menopause, and age-related health conditions.
Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve rapamycin for treating menopause, endometriosis, or increasing longevity. It is, however, approved to prevent organ rejection in kidney transplant patients and to treat conditions such as lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung disease.
5 resources
- Office on Women's Health. Menopause and your health.
- ClinicalTrials.gov. Effect of rapamycin in ovarian aging (rapamycin).
- NewYork-Presbyterian. Pilot study evaluates weekly pill to slow ovarian aging, delay menopause.
- Reproductive BioMedicine Online. A cohort study on IVF outcomes in infertile endometriosis patients: the effects of rapamycin treatment.
- Endonews. Is there a new hope for the prevention of endometriotic invasions?
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