Though it hasn’t been recommended by the researchers to consume pills in order to live longer, they hope that a drug, which had been predominantly used for rejection of transplanted organs might be used to extend lives.

Middle-aged mice, on which the drug rapamycin (Sirolimus) was experimented, lived as much as 38 percent longer than mice that didn’t get the drug.

This remarkable discovery was disclosed in a study released in the online magazine, Nature, which suggested that the drug provides “a foundation for future research on retarding aging”.

The mice, which was the subject of the experiment, appeared to do well after consuming the mentioned drug. Whether humans, will be fetched with the same result on the consumption of the drug is very debatable. Researchers say that the drug can have adverse effect on human, as Sirolimus suppresses the immune system of man, thus mounting the chances of getting infected.

“We don’t know that the benefits in people at this point will be greater than the deleterious consequences,” said the study’s lead author, David Harrison. Still, the recent findings has appeared that the pill can be used for “extending longevity”, that might allow people to live a longer life. Patholgist, Matt Kaeberlein, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study said, “This is the first demonstration of a compound that when administered in life, can increase the life span in a mammal.”

Rapamycin is a compound which was discovered in the soil of Easter Island, a South Pacific islands known for three giant monoliths that have survived for centuries. The drug is actually used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs and also to treat some forms of cancer. The actual procedure regarding the growth in the life span of the mice is still unknown.