3 ms·
The craziest conclusion I've seen longevity experts narrow in on is the mTOR == cancer hypothesis. And the logic leaps are astounding: 1. Rapamycin inhibits ex
by caeril 2y ago
The craziest conclusion I've seen longevity experts narrow in on is the mTOR == cancer hypothesis. And the logic leaps are astounding:
1. Rapamycin inhibits expression of mTOR. (verified)
2. Rapamycin extends lifespan of cancer-encoded laboratory rats. (verified)
3. Therefore, activation of mTOR causes cancer. (???)
4. Therefore, stop eating protein.
The leap from 2 to 3 is incredible. These guys aren't considering the possibility that Rapamycin might have other cancer-inhibiting properties via other pathways. They're just assuming that because the R in mTOR stands for Rapamycin, that's the only thing the drug does.
- Kalanos 2y agoI doubt step #1. When you downregulate mTOR, there are other supervisors of that pathway that help right the ship by upregulating it. It's naive to think "we can shut off one of the most critical pathways in biology"