#123 - Joan Mannick, M.D. & Nir Barzilai, M.D.: Rapamycin and metformin—longevity, immune enhancement, and COVID-19

In this episode, Joan and Nir discuss their extensive research into rapamycin (including the category of analogs to rapamycin known as rapalogs) and metformin, respectively. Based on his work with metformin, Nir shares how he believes it could be a pro-longevity drug and the clinical trial he’s leading to test this belief. Joan discusses her work with rapalogs, their ability to suppress the immune system as well as provide immune-enhancement, and the clinical trials she has led that inform her insights. We also talk about the potential beneficial roles of both metformin and rapamycin in reducing mortality from COVID-19, reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, and delaying aging as well as its related diseases.

We discuss:

• Joan’s career, interest in aging, and work with rapamycin analogs [3:45];
• When Nir became convinced metformin could be a pro-longevity agent [15:00];
• How metformin and rapamycin impact the hallmarks of aging and extend lifespan [24:15];
• Enhancing the immune system with rapalogs and metformin [34:15];
• Potential of metformin and rapamycin in reducing mortality from COVID-19 [41:30];
• Insights from Joan’s studies investigating the immune-enhancing effects of rapalogs [59:30];
• Vaccines and treatments strategies for COVID-19, and the likelihood of long-term immunity [1:08:15];
• The potential role of rapalogs and metformin in neurodegenerative disease [1:14:30];
• Nir’s TAME trial—primary objectives and latest updates [1:18:00];
• Potential synergistic effect when combining metformin with rapamycin [1:25:45];
• Why Peter stopped taking metformin and started taking rapamycin [1:27:30];
• Story from Nir’s book that demonstrates the challenge of doing good scientific studies [1:37:30];
• The biology of aging—epigenetic clocks, proteomics, and Nir’s centenarian data [1:42:00];
• Joan’s dream experiment to test immune-enhancing effect of RTB101 [1:57:15];
• Concluding thoughts on COVID-19 [1:59:45]; and
• More.

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