Here’s what we’ll cover in this blog post:
- How does aging affect fertility?
- Common problems for aging & fertility
- How Rapamycin may improve healthy fertility
Age is often the biggest factor when it comes to conception and healthy birth. Fertility starts to decline around age 30, while about 30% birthing partners may have trouble conceiving after age 35.
The risk of pregnancy complications also increases at this age, with miscarriages, chromosomal abnormalities, and stillbirths becoming much more common.
The problem is that couples are starting to wait longer before considering pregnancy. As human longevity increases, humans may take even longer before pregnancy. This means couples may also need a viable therapy to extend fertility.
As CNN reports, scientists may have finally found the answer to extending fertility: Rapamycin.
How Does Aging Affect Fertility?
As our chronological age increases, our organs are also aging with us. In fact, fertility decreases primarily due to ovarian aging.
Fertility is a reflection of the ovarian reserve, or the reproductive potential of the ovaries. At birth, the ovaries contain a set population of primordial follicles, which form the ovarian reserves. This means that the ovaries have a set quantity of primordial follicles starting from birth.
Each menstrual cycle absorbs a number of these primordial follicles from the ovarian reserve. A single dominant follicle releases its egg, while the others degrade. When the ovarian reserve depletes, menopause begins.
But if ovarian aging is delayed, birthing partners could remain fertile for longer. This way, the time before menopause can also be extended.
Does Rapamycin Improve Fertility?
FDA approved to treat organ rejection in transplant patients, Rapamycin has been celebrated for its incredible potential to slow age-related decline.
Rapamycin is the first drug proven to help mammals live longer. Since this discovery, Rapamycin has also been shown to extend the healthy lifespan of every organism tested so far. Not only can it reduce muscle loss, but recent studies also suggest that Rapamycin could delay ovarian aging and menopause. A 2018 study demonstrated that a daily dose of Rapamycin delays ovarian aging in mice.
Now, a new study aims to confirm these results in humans.
The trial, titled “Effect of Rapamycin on Ovarian Aging,” launched in June 2023. The first phase included 50 participants aged 35-45, all of whom were perimenopausal. The participants received a weekly dose of either Rapamycin or a placebo. Researchers used ultrasound monitoring and blood testing to detect changes to the ovaries.
The study recently concluded its first phase of testing, and the initial results were nothing short of promising: researchers observed an average 20% decrease in ovarian aging among the 50 participants (aged 35-45). Those who received Rapamycin had only 15 primordial follicles absorbed during their menstrual cycle. According to the study, women around the same age lose 50 primordial follicles on average per menstrual cycle.
This suggests that Rapamycin may preserve the ovarian reserve, extend healthy fertility, and increase the time before menopause.
What Does This Mean?
So, could Rapamycin improve fertility? Though the population size was small, this study is among the first to show that Rapamycin could extend healthy fertility in humans. More research is yet to be done, but these results clear the way for researchers to move into the second phase of testing, with a larger population size of 1,000.
If subsequent studies confirm the initial results, Rapamycin may soon provide a blueprint to extend the healthy birthing age. This means that pregnancy complications could also decrease, which could improve the average health of newborns.
But these are only a fraction of the potential benefits of Rapamycin, which remains one of the most promising longevity drugs today.
AgelessRx is at the forefront of modern Rapamycin research: we’re immensely proud to be leading the PEARL trial, the first large-scale clinical trial to study Rapamycin for human longevity.
Our Applied Science team is also closely observing Rapamycin benefits among our patients in several limited trials designed to confirm the benefits of Rapamycin in humans. We’re dedicated to reporting the latest trends in Rapamycin and longevity research, so keep an eye on our Rapamycin blog for the latest updates from this Rapamycin fertility trial.
If you’re curious about Rapamycin, get started with a free visit with one of our expert prescribers to see if it’s right for you. You can also schedule a Longevity Consultation with one of our experts to explore your health goals. With Rapamycin in your longevity toolkit, and healthy lifestyle choices to support your journey, a longer, healthier life is easily within reach.
Note: The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.