Scientists at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology have discovered a key connection between high levels of iron in the brain and increased cell damage in people who have both Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, researchers found that the brains of people diagnosed with Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease (DSAD) had twice as much iron and more signs of oxidative damage in cell membranes compared to the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease alone or those with neither diagnosis. The results point to a specific cellular death process that is mediated by iron, and the findings may help explain why Alzheimer’s symptoms often appear earlier and more severely in individuals with Down syndrome.

Researchers have found that the anti-aging drug Rapamycin extends lifespan as effectively as eating less.

Dietary restriction has long been considered one of the most reliable methods for increasing lifespan across species. But if fasting for hours sounds unpleasant, science may suggest another route to achieving a longer and healthier life.

A new study reveals that Rapamycin, a compound originally developed as an immunosuppressant, offers comparable life-extending benefits in eight species of vertebrates (not including humans). 

In this, the largest study of its kind, the team investigated the effect of Rapamycin and Metformin on longevity - both of which have been touted as life-extending drugs.

They found that Rapamycin extends lifespan almost as consistently as eating less, while the Type 2 diabetes medicine, Metformin, does not.