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Science podcast: the story behind the ‘longevity pill’ rapamycin

The Swiss Connection science podcast
From shortwave broadcasting to a multimedia digital service – the Swiss voice in the world since 1935. SWI swissinfo.ch

The drug Rapamycin is used to prevent organ transplant rejection and treat certain cancers. But the drug also appears to impact ageing thanks to a discovery by a Basel-based molecular biologist's 30 years ago.

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I report on the Swiss pharmaceutical industry and healthcare topics such as access to medicine, biomedical innovation, and the impact of diseases like cancer. I grew up just outside San Francisco and studied international affairs with a focus on development economics and healthcare policy. Prior to joining SWI swissinfo.ch in 2018, I was a freelance journalist and a researcher on business and human rights.

I lead diverse teams of distribution specialists and multimedia journalists in creating multilingual content for a range of online platforms. I oversee the strategic development of our podcast and video products, driving innovative content creation and audience engagement. After training as a broadcast journalist at City University of London, I worked in production and on-air as a journalist or contributor for a range of prime-time TV and radio programmes at top-tier broadcasters including the BBC, NPR, Deutsche Welle, and various commercial networks.

My work is focused on making videos and podcasts about science and technology topics. I specialize in developing explainatory video formats for mobile viewing, mixing animation and documentary styles. I studied filmmaking and animation at Zurich University of the Arts and began working as a video journalist at SWI swissinfo.ch in 2004. Since then I have specialised in creating different styles of animation for our visual products.

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In the latest episode of ‘The Swiss Connection’External link science podcast our healthcare reporter Jessica Davis Plüss speaks to Basel-based molecular biologist Michael Hall who discovered the gene Target of Rapamycin (TOR). His research is widely considered to have transformed our understanding of ageing, and potentially how to slow it.

Study after study in animals shows that when you inhibit TOR, which was eventually renamed mTOR, you extend lifespan.

Rapamycin is now being tested in low doses in humans against certain age-related disease like Alzheimer’s. Even without the scientific evidence, hundreds of people are said to be taking rapamycin off-label for potential longevity benefits.

Join Jessica Davis Plüss on the new season of ‘The Swiss Connection’External link to learn more about Michael Hall’s discovery.

Find out more about the ‘The Swiss Connection’ science podcast and our other Swiss podcasts in English here, on Apple PodcastsExternal link, or SpotifyExternal link.

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