What happened A cheap, widely used drug may prolong women's fertility by five years, early results of a landmark study suggest.
A weekly dose of off-patent immunosuppressant rapamycin, taken by women in their thirties, could decrease ovarian ageing by 20%, delaying menopause and reducing the risk of age-related diseases – without any side-effects.
Who said what The results are "like a dream come true", said Yousin Suh, co-author and professor of reproductive sciences, genetics and development at Columbia University. Those with age-related fertility problems "now have hope".
This marks a "paradigm shift in biomedical research for women", said Jennifer Garrison, a neuroscientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.Â
The 34 participants aged up to 35 also reported improvements to health, memory, skin and hair consistent with other studies that have suggested rapamycin can "increase lifespan by 9-14% while revitalising the immune system and organs", said The Guardian.
What next? The study will be scaled up to include 1,000 women and report again in two years. |