Extending longevity

 mTORC1 is the single most validated drug target for longevity and age-related disease. mTORC1 is a 'master regulator' of metabolism, longevity and healthspan. The first mTORC1-selective scaffold to be identified was Rapamycin, in 1975, and rapamycin dose dependently extends lifespan in mice.  However Rapamycin has off-target effects on mTORC2 that drive side effects that may not be tolerated in older humans. 

By contrast to Rapamycin, Beiwe's molecules engage mTOR at a different site that inhibits only mTORC1. Beiwe's molecules have a much lower side-effect profile than rapamycin and some of them have been used safely in humans for 40 years.  One of these molecules was recently shown to extend longevity in mice (Harrison, 2023).  Furthermore, mTORC1 is an important cancer therapeutic drug target, more than 70 clinical trials have been run on mTORC1-specific inhibitors.