It was in 1975 when scientists from Ayerst (now Pfizer) discovered a novel compound called rapamycin (also known as Sirolimus) in bacteria on Rapa Nui(Easter Island) in Chile. In 1999 rapamycin obtained FDA approval for the prevention of acute rejection of renal transplant. Unknown at the time, rapamycin would become the most potent anti-aging drug that humans currently hold.
This is the first article of a two-part series on rapamycin.
The profound effect rapamycin has on lifespan was first observed in yeast cells, and later confirmed in every model organism tested, including the nematode C. elegans, fruit flies, and mice.
