Could taking an immunosuppressant drug help us (and our pets) live longer?
That's the intriguing prospect offered by trials involving rapamycin, a medicine which prevents rejection of human organs after a transplant that's been shown to extend the lives of mice by up to 40 percent.
Now early results of a small study involving dogs also look promising. And researchers are optimistic that we humans could also enjoy some of the effects of rapamycin within the next decade.
Professor Matt Kaeberlein of the University of Washington is about to publish results of a trial involving about 40 dogs, with plans to extend this research to a larger sample size over a longer period.
Photo: (jaymantri.com CC0)
