Transplant drug could extend female fertility by five years

A team of scientists from Columbia University is conducting a study of rapamycin, an immunosuppressant commonly used to prevent organ rejection in transplants. Preliminary results show that its use can extend women's fertility by five years and help them live longer, healthier lives. It is safe for younger people, The Guardian reports .

Lead researcher Professor of Medicine Yushin Su believes the data they have obtained from the initial studies shows that there is a real possibility of slowing the ageing of women's ovaries by 20%.

“The results of this study — the first ever — are very, very exciting. They indicate that there is real hope for those [women] who are suffering from age-related fertility issues,” Su said. “The early results show that we now have the opportunity to achieve the ultimate goal of using rapamycin to extend ovarian life, to delay menopause, to increase life expectancy and improve the overall quality of life for women.”

During the study, one group was given the real drug, while the other was given a placebo. Participants in both groups reported improvements in their condition. According to the results of another study, taking rapamycin increases life expectancy by 9-14% and restores the immune system.

The trial participants were given a low dose of the drug: five milligrams a day for three months, versus the 13 milligrams typically given to transplant recipients. The scientists note that the dosage is critical — if it is increased, ovulation may stop altogether.

The first phase of rapamycin trials will take another two years, but scientists are already praising the discovery. Dr. Jennifer Garrison, a neuroscientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, said the early results “mark a paradigm shift in biomedical research on women’s health.”

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