A drug that could extend women’s fertility by five years by slowing the rate of ageing of the ovaries has been hailed as “a dream come true” by experts.
Researchers at Columbia University in the US are investigating the use of rapamycin, currently used in the treatment of cancer.
It is also given to kidney transplant recipients to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ.
It is now hoped that the drug can delay menopause, prolong fertility and reduce the risk of age-related diseases, and early results are promising.
The Columbia study will include more than 1,000 women. There are currently 34 participants up to the age of 35, and more women are joining every day.
The drug is expected to delay menopause, prolong fertility and reduce the risk of age-related diseases. That means it could boost fertility by five years.
‘The results of this study—the first in human history—are very, very exciting.
“This means that those with age-related fertility problems now have hope when they didn’t have it before,” Yousin Suh, professor of reproductive sciences and professor of genetics and development at Columbia University, told The Guardian.
“In some ways, our results are too good to be true, but because rapamycin is so well studied, we know they are true,” he added. “These results are like a dream come true.”
Early results suggested it was realistic to expect the drug could slow ovarian aging by 20 percent without women experiencing any of the 44 side effects that rapamycin can have, such as high blood pressure and infections, Dr. Suh said.
In fact, he said, participants in the randomized, placebo-controlled study reported improvements in their health, memory, energy levels, and the quality of their skin and hair.
These health improvements were consistent with other studies of rapamycin that suggested the drug may increase life expectancy by nine to fourteen percent.
This is the first study to analyse the origin of ovarian ageing and to try to slow down its rate. Previous research on menopause had only focused on the symptomatic aspect.
The ovaries release eggs continuously, with women losing about 50 each month and only one reaching ovulation. But a small weekly dose of rapamycin slows down the ovaries, so that they release only 15 eggs per month.
Dr. Suh explains that ovarian aging is an important factor in the overall aging of women.
She describes hormone replacement therapy as a “band-aid” for the aging we already use, but suggests that if women take rapamycin in their 30s, when their ovaries begin to decline, they could slow the entire aging process.
The ovaries release eggs continuously, every month women lose around 50 and only one reaches ovulation.
But a low weekly dose of rapamycin slows down the ovaries, so that they release only 15 eggs a month.
Zev Williams, an associate professor of women’s health and chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who co-led the study, estimates the drug will slow ovarian aging by 20 percent.
Since rapamycin is a cheap and widely used generic drug, once the evidence is established, progress will be rapid, he said.
However, he explained that a larger study is needed to prove that it works and that it is an expensive study.
A human clinical trial of rapamycin has also been deemed impossible because it would take decades to detect any effect on longevity, but because ovaries age so rapidly the change can be measured within six months.
In the study, women are given a dose of 5 mg per week for three months, compared with the 13 mg per day that transplant patients may be prescribed for years.
However, it’s crucial to get the level right, researchers say, as too much could stop ovulation altogether.
It is unknown whether follicle quality will deteriorate with additional time that the ovaries live, thus producing eggs that are more likely to contain genetic abnormalities.
Vibrant will report its findings in two years before a much larger follow-up study is conducted.
Women aged between 30 and 40 are expected to be able to visit their family doctor if they want more freedom over when they want to have babies.
It is thought that women may stop taking rapamycin after menopause, but if they continue there are even greater health benefits that may make it beneficial to continue taking it.