Can We Really Slow Aging? | Matt Kaeberlein on Rapamycin & Longevity

What would it take to turn promising aging research into longer, healthier lives? Dr. Matt Kaeberlein joins Pierre Jacob and Meronn Jacob on Transcribed for a conversation about longevity science, the evidence behind rapamycin, and the personal story that helped inspire the Dog Aging Project. Matt explains how a talk at MIT drew him into aging research, why he challenges claims that get ahead of the data, and what he thinks the field needs to earn wider trust. He walks through rapamycin and mTOR, distinguishing the findings that excite him in laboratory research from the questions that remain about benefits in people. We also discuss biological age tests, the difficulty of defining healthspan, and why a clinical trial needs a clear answer to a deceptively simple question: what are we actually going to measure? The conversation closes with hard work and quality of life, followed by Matt's research wish list: companion animal longevity, epigenetic reprogramming, trials of overlooked drugs, and more room for discovery science. In this conversation: ◼️ How Matt entered aging research in 2003 ◼️ Longevity hype, communication and scientific credibility ◼️ Rapamycin, mTOR and what the evidence can tell us ◼️ Dogs, family and the origins of the Dog Aging Project ◼️ Biological clocks and the limits of individual test results ◼️ Healthspan, lifespan and meaningful trial outcomes ◼️ Working hard without losing sight of quality of life ◼️ Where Matt would put research funding RESOURCES Dog Aging Project: https://dogagingproject.org/ Further reading, TRIAD study design and rationale: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01484-7 Transcribed Podcast: in-person interviews with scientists, founders, and industry experts shaping the future of biotech and pharma. New episodes every Tuesday at 16:00 (Europe/Berlin). 🎙️ Watch all episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@TranscribedPod 📥 Free Biotech Starter Pack: https://transcribedpod.com 🌐 https://transcribedpod.com 📸 Instagram: @transcribedpod 📧 thetranscribedpod@gmail.com 🎵 Jingle composed by Tembeh: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4s9JmadJjVdYQ6YxYtJgja ⚠️ Disclaimer: For information and education only. Not medical, financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Guests share their own experiences and opinions, not necessarily those of Transcribed or its hosts. Nothing here is a recommendation to start, stop or change any treatment, supplement or investment; consult a qualified professional about your own situation. Mentions of companies or products are not endorsements, and Transcribed accepts no liability for decisions based on this content. #TranscribedPodcast #Longevity #Geroscience #Biotech 00:00 Introducing Matt Kaeberlein 00:22 How Matt found aging research 01:58 Longevity hype and scientific credibility 04:16 What would bring credible longevity into the mainstream? 06:06 Rapamycin, mTOR and the limits of the evidence 09:32 The personal story behind the Dog Aging Project 12:36 Biological clocks: promise, marketing and uncertainty 16:39 Healthspan, lifespan and what healthy aging means 19:31 Why medicine still focuses on individual diseases 22:35 Designing clinical trials that can answer useful questions 25:22 Hard work, hustle culture and quality of life 27:55 What Matt would fund with unlimited resources 29:06 The promise and risks of epigenetic reprogramming 29:50 Testing overlooked drugs 30:36 Discovery science and exceptional aging