Dr. Mikhail Blagosklonny’s Legacy: Hyperfunction Theory & Rapamycin | Aging-US

Aging-US #published this #trending priority #review on January 12, 2025, entitled, “Mikhail ‘Misha’ Blagosklonny’s enduring legacy in geroscience: the hyperfunction theory and the therapeutic potential of rapamycin" by David A. Barzilai from Geneva College of Longevity Science, Geneva 1204, Switzerland; Healthspan Coaching LLC, Barzilai Longevity Consulting, Boston, MA. @agingdoc #aging #rapamycin #longevity #geroscience #healthspan #oncology #hyperfunction #research #openaccess #openscience #peerreviewed #journalpublication #publishing #meded DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206189 Corresponding author - David A. Barzilai - david.longevity@gmail.com Abstract The untimely passing of Dr. Mikhail “Misha” Blagosklonny has left a lasting void in geroscience and oncology. This review examines his profound contributions, focusing on his pioneering the Hyperfunction Theory and his advocacy for rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, as a therapeutic agent for lifespan extension. Contrary to traditional damage-centric models, the Hyperfunction Theory rejects damage accumulation as the primary driver of aging. Instead, it redefines aging as a quasi-programmed process driven by the persistent, excessive activity of growth-promoting pathways beyond their developmental roles, leading to age-related pathologies. We explore how Blagosklonny’s insights predict rapamycin’s ability to decelerate aging by modulating excessive mTOR signaling, supported by empirical evidence across multiple physiological systems, including immune, cardiovascular, cognitive, and oncologic health. His forward-thinking approach, advocating for the cautious clinical use of rapamycin and suggesting personalized, preventive, and combination therapy strategies, has catalyzed interest in translational geroscience. This review synthesizes Blagosklonny’s legacy, presenting rapamycin as a foundational pharmacological intervention with potential in managing age-related decline and extending healthspan, and underlines his impact in shifting aging research from theoretical frameworks to actionable interventions. Blagosklonny’s work remains an enduring inspiration, paving the way toward treating aging as a modifiable condition. Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206189 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Keywords - aging, rapamycin, longevity medicine, healthspan, geroscience, hyperfunction About Aging-US The mission of the journal is to understand the mechanisms surrounding aging and age-related diseases, including cancer as the main cause of death in the modern aged population. The journal aims to promote 1) treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, 2) validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, and 3) prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. (Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.) Please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Aging-US LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc Media Contact 18009220957 MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM