The Possible Cellular Mechanism for Extending Lifespan of Mice with Rapamycin

In the same volume, a group led by Rafi Ahmed discovered that inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin independently boosted the quantity and quality of memory CD8 T cells [2]. This discovery was confirmed by an RNA interference technique which knocked down the mTOR pathway. Another group led by Young Choi found that rapamycin extends memory T cell generation and survival by regulating mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and induces AMP-activated kinase activity [3]. These increased memory T cell responses may account for the increased lifespan of the mice receiving rapamycin. This hypothesis needs to be tested.