AgingPhase 2mTORNCT04742777
Effect of mTOR Inhibition & Other Metabolism Modulating Interventions on the Elderly [SubStudy Rapa & cMRI to Evaluate Cardiac Function]
A Phase 2 study testing rapamycin in people with Aging, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
The ability to mount an effective immune response declines with age, leaving the elderly increasingly susceptible to infectious diseases and cancer. Rapamycin, an FDA approved drug to prevent transplant rejection, increases the lifespan and healthspan of mice and ameliorates age-related declines in immune… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 70 to 95 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Aging
- What is being tested?
- rapamycin
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2022to 16 Oct 2026
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 70 to 95 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- men and women 70-95 years of age.
- Subjects will be in good general health with all chronic diseases (hypertension, coronary artery disease, etc.) clinically stable. Selected subjects will be in good health (Per the World Health Organization good health will be defined as complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- For our purposes all diseases or infirmities will be clinically stable whether managed by medications or not.
- All ethnicities will be included.
- For cardiac and brain imaging by MRI, a pre-MRI screening questionnaire will be used to assess MRI safety and neurological health.
Who cannot join
- Diabetes, (with A1c ≥6.5 or if treated with medication affecting glucose homeostasis History of skin ulcers or poor wound healing,
- Smoking,
- Liver disease,
- Anti-coagulation,
- Treatment with drugs known to affect cytochrome P450 3A (diltiazem, erythromycin, etc) due to its role in RAPA metabolism,
- Treatment (>30days of therapy or long term) with a systemic immunosuppressant (prednisone, etc.) within the last year,
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- History of recent (within 6 months) Myocardial Infarction or active Coronary Disease,
- Patients with history of recent (within 6 months) intestinal disorders,
- Exclusion criteria for MRI scan: known claustrophobia, metal implants in soft tissue of the body including pacemakers, aneurysm clips, ferrous metal fragments not anchored to bone (bullets, BBs, shrapnel, metal shavings), implanted medication pumps, and oral-facial metal appliances that are permanently secured but may result in low image quality. Participants may also be excluded for history of severe head trauma, brain injury, brain surgery, inflammation of the brain, or history of seizures.
- Positive COVID19 test.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
United States2 sites
Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital
San Antonio, Texas, 78229
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas, 78229
About this study
Official title: Effect of mTOR Inhibition and Other Metabolism Modulating Interventions on the Elderly: Immune, Cognitive, and Functional Consequences ((Substudy E - RAPA cMRI With LGE)
The ability to mount an effective immune response declines with age, leaving the elderly increasingly susceptible to infectious diseases and cancer. Rapamycin, an FDA approved drug to prevent transplant rejection, increases the lifespan and healthspan of mice and ameliorates age-related declines in immune responsiveness, cancer survival, and cognition in laboratory animals. Investigators are conducting a translational trial to test whether rapamycin also improves life functions in humans focusing on elderly persons (aged 70-95).
Substudy E will evaluate the Rapamycin and Cardiac Function.
Read the detailed description
The main study has completed and results are reported (NCT02874924)
Purpose of Sub-study E - Rapamycin and cMRI to evaluate cardiac function:
The over-arching hypothesis is that RAPA treatment will effect simultaneous improvement in parameters known to be negatively impacted by aging. For example, systemic inflammation is higher in older individuals and contributes to the development of age-related pathologies affecting both the heart and the vasculature. In particular, evidence indicates that aging-associated alterations in inflammatory and pro-fibrotic pathways are critically involved in the etiology of age-related declines. The study team hypothesize that mTOR antagonism with RAPA will improve detrimental age-related pathologies affecting the heart in elderly humans.
- Conditions
- Aging
- Being tested
- rapamycin
- Keywords
- geriatrics
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
rapamycinDrug
Also called Sirolimus
Taken orally 1mg daily for 8 weeks
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Rapamycin | Experimental | Rapamycin 1mg for 8 weeks Receives: Drug: rapamycin |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Systolic Function
Test whether RAPA improves systolic function in elderly subjects. Cardiac MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA administration using 3T MRI. From collected MRI data, the study team will quantify change in systolic volumes.
Measured: Baseline to 8 weeks
Diastolic Function
Test whether RAPA improves diastolic function in elderly subjects.Cardiac MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA administration using 3T MRI. From collected MRI data, the study team will quantify change in diastolic volumes.
Measured: Baseline to 8 weeks
Aortic Cross-Sectional Area
Test whether RAPA increases aortic compliance in elderly subjects. Aortic MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA using 3T MRI. The study team will quantify distal descending aortic cross-sectional area to assess aortic function/compliance effects.
Measured: Baseline to 8 weeks
Aortic Distensibility
Test whether RAPA increases aortic compliance in elderly subjects. Aortic MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA using 3T MRI. The study team will quantify change in distal descending aortic distensibility to assess aortic function/compliance effects.
Measured: Baseline to 8 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Feb 2021
- Study start1 Feb 2022
- Primary completion16 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion16 Oct 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AgingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Rapamycin 1mg for 8 weeks
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers, National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Dean L Kellogg, Jr., MD PhD, Principal investigator, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04742777
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HSC20120304H (Addendum)
- Other IDs
- 5P30AG044271-07
- Acronym
- mTOR
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Feb 2021
- Last updated
- 23 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All IPD that underlie results in a publication will be shared.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of mTOR Inhibition and Other Metabolism Modulating Interventions on the Elderly: Immune, Cognitive, and Functional Consequences ((Substudy E - RAPA cMRI With LGE)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04742777
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- mTOR / HSC20120304H (Addendum)
- Conditions
- Aging
- Keywords
- geriatrics
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers, National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 16 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Feb 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The ability to mount an effective immune response declines with age, leaving the elderly increasingly susceptible to infectious diseases and cancer. Rapamycin, an FDA approved drug to prevent transplant rejection, increases the lifespan and healthspan of mice and ameliorates age-related declines in immune responsiveness, cancer survival, and cognition in laboratory animals. Investigators are conducting a translational trial to test whether rapamycin also improves life functions in humans focusing on elderly persons (aged 70-95).
Substudy E will evaluate the Rapamycin and Cardiac Function.
Detailed description
The main study has completed and results are reported (NCT02874924)
Purpose of Sub-study E - Rapamycin and cMRI to evaluate cardiac function:
The over-arching hypothesis is that RAPA treatment will effect simultaneous improvement in parameters known to be negatively impacted by aging. For example, systemic inflammation is higher in older individuals and contributes to the development of age-related pathologies affecting both the heart and the vasculature. In particular, evidence indicates that aging-associated alterations in inflammatory and pro-fibrotic pathways are critically involved in the etiology of age-related declines. The study team hypothesize that mTOR antagonism with RAPA will improve detrimental age-related pathologies affecting the heart in elderly humans.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Rapamycin 1mg for 8 weeks
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Rapamycin | Experimental | Drug: rapamycinRapamycin 1mg for 8 weeks |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 70 to 95 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- men and women 70-95 years of age.
- Subjects will be in good general health with all chronic diseases (hypertension, coronary artery disease, etc.) clinically stable. Selected subjects will be in good health (Per the World Health Organization good health will be defined as complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- For our purposes all diseases or infirmities will be clinically stable whether managed by medications or not.
- All ethnicities will be included.
- For cardiac and brain imaging by MRI, a pre-MRI screening questionnaire will be used to assess MRI safety and neurological health.
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Diabetes, (with A1c ≥6.5 or if treated with medication affecting glucose homeostasis History of skin ulcers or poor wound healing,
- Smoking,
- Liver disease,
- Anti-coagulation,
- Treatment with drugs known to affect cytochrome P450 3A (diltiazem, erythromycin, etc) due to its role in RAPA metabolism,
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| rapamycinAlso: SirolimusTaken orally 1mg daily for 8 weeks | Drug | Rapamycin |
Primary outcome
Systolic Function
Time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks
Test whether RAPA improves systolic function in elderly subjects. Cardiac MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA administration using 3T MRI. From collected MRI data, the study team will quantify change in systolic volumes.
Diastolic Function
Time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks
Test whether RAPA improves diastolic function in elderly subjects.Cardiac MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA administration using 3T MRI. From collected MRI data, the study team will quantify change in diastolic volumes.
Aortic Cross-Sectional Area
Time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks
Test whether RAPA increases aortic compliance in elderly subjects. Aortic MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA using 3T MRI. The study team will quantify distal descending aortic cross-sectional area to assess aortic function/compliance effects.
Aortic Distensibility
Time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks
Test whether RAPA increases aortic compliance in elderly subjects. Aortic MRI will be measured before and after 8 weeks of RAPA using 3T MRI. The study team will quantify change in distal descending aortic distensibility to assess aortic function/compliance effects.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All IPD that underlie results in a publication will be shared.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Dean L Kellogg, Jr., MD PhD principal investigator
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing rapamycin in people with Aging, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio at 2 sites in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Systolic Function (time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Sep 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.