Overview

• Combined treatment increased median lifespans in mice by around 30% and pushed maximum lifespans more than 25% beyond controls.
• Treated mice showed delayed onset of liver and spleen tumors along with reduced chronic inflammation in brain, kidney, spleen and muscle.
• Analysis revealed the drugs act at different points in the Ras/Insulin/TOR signaling pathway, yielding additive effects without new side effects.
• Individually, rapamycin extended mouse lifespan by 17–18% and trametinib by 7–16%, but their combination delivered significantly larger gains.
• Both agents are already approved for human cancer patients and researchers say human trials of the drug cocktail could begin soon.