Scientists have identified more than 200 genes responsible for aging and determined that turning them off can significantly extend life.
Turning off certain genes may prove to be an effective way to slow the aging process by many years, say the authors of the experiment, which showed that making small changes to genes extended the life of organisms by 60 percent.
After ten years of research, scientists from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, a US biomedical center specializing in the study of aging and age-related diseases, and the University of Washington, identified 238 genes that when turned off significantly extended the life of yeast cells.
Many of these genes are found in mammals, including humans, which means that turning them off may have a similar effect to yeast.
‘Our research focuses on the aging process in a genome-wide context and complements our understanding of what aging is,’ said Dr Brian Kennedy, head of the research team.
Almost half of the genes found to influence aging occur in mammals. Theoretically, each of them could be the target of therapeutic intervention to improve health. Now it remains to determine which of them we can influence.
In an attempt to determine which genes are responsible for the aging of organisms, the researchers tested 4698 yeast strains. In each of them, a different gene was turned off and it was observed how long cells would live and divide.
It turned out that the best results came from turning off the gene called LOS1 – researchers observed an extension of cell life by 60 percent. The LOS1 gene is associated with a genetic switch that has long been associated with limiting calories through fasting and extending life.
“It has long been known that restricting your caloric intake extends your life,” adds Dr. Kennedy.
Co-author of the study, Dr. Mark McCormick of the Buck Institute explains: “ We achieved the most interesting results by turning off single genes, which increased life expectancy by about 60 percent. compared to regular yeast.
Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Southern California discovered that a five-day fasting diet (called the FMD diet) can slow the aging process, extend life by several years, boost the immune system, and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
A diet that is used five days a month is based on reducing calories to 33-50 percent. normal consumption.
Last year, the same team of researchers discovered that carefully timed fasting can regenerate your entire immune system and has many long-term health benefits.
In volunteers who followed a calorie-restricted diet, a reduction in the number of biomarkers associated with aging, diabetes and heart disease, as well as an overall reduction in body fat was observed after three months.
According to the researchers, this is the effect of reducing the amount of a hormone that is necessary for the development of the body, but at a later age it is responsible for aging and, possibly, susceptibility to cancer. Put simply, the body is tricked into aging more slowly.
The results of the study are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.