Peter Attia, who was our very first guest on STEM-Talk, describes David Sabatini’s discovery of mTOR as one of his two favorite science stories.

Today, Dr. David Sabatini joins us and gives us a first-hand account of how his research into rapamycin in 1994 as a graduate student led him to the discovery of mTOR, which we now know is a critical regulator of cellular growth.

Our interview with David delves into his continuing research into mTOR, which has led to promising opportunities for the development of new treatments for debilitating diseases such as cancer, diabetes and neurological disorders. He also discusses mTOR’s role in healthspan and lifespan.

David is a molecular cell biologist who, according to Reuters News Service, is on the short list for a Nobel Prize. David is on the faculty at MIT and heads up the Sabatini Lab at the Whitehead Institute.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

• Rapamycin, a macrolide antibiotic discovered in the soil of Easter Island

• David’s discovery of mTOR while a grad student at Johns Hopkins

• mTOR’s role as one of the major growth pathways in the body

• mTOR’s role as a nutrient sensor

• How mTOR inhibiton has become one of the hottest topics in longevity research

• mTOR’s role in diseases, especially its connection to cancer

• The role of RAG GTPases as key mTOR mediators

• Protein intake and downstream mTOR activation

• Research into ketogenic diets effect on longevity and healthspan

• Whether David would take rapamycin as a means to enhance his longevity

• And much, much more

Show notes:

Sabatini links:

David M. Sabatini MIT profile page

Sabatini Lab website

David M. Sabatini Wikipedia page

Sabatini Lab publications page

Peter Attia interview with David M. Sabatini

Twenty-Five Years of mTOR

RAFT1: A mammalian protein that binds to FKBP12 in a rapamycin-dependent fashion

Amino Acids and mTORC1

Growing Roles for the mTOR pathway

Rapalogs and mTOR inhibitors as anti-aging therapeutics

mTOR is a key modulator of ageing and age-related disease

Regulation of mTORC1 by amino acids

mTOR Signaling in Growth Control and Disease

The TOR pathway interacts with the insulin signaling pathway to regulate C. elegans larval development, metabolism and life span

Tim Ferris podcast about trip to Easter Island with David M. Sabatini and friends