‘Methuselah’ gene: Scientists find secret to living to 100 – you just have to have the right DNA
Scientists have discovered that living to the ripe old age of 100 may have nothing to do the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have - provided you have the right DNA.
For the lucky carriers of the 'Methuselah' genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as prevalent as those of us without the rare DNA pattern.
Research into the genetic make-up of centenarians, nonagenarians and their families unearthed the tiny mutation which scientists believe give extra protection against the diseases of old age as well as protecting against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles we believe will lead us to an early grave.
The carriers are thought to be protected against the effects of smoking and bad diet and the onset of age-related illnesses such as cancer and heart disease can be delayed by up to three decades.
The study shows that it is a combination of genes rather than one gene that guarantees a long life, though they are extremely rare with only one person in 10,000 reaching the age of 100.
Eline Slagboom of Leiden University, who is leading a study into 3,500 Dutch nonagenarians, recently published studies showing how the physiology of people in long-lived families differs from normal people.
She said: 'People who live to be a great age metabolise fat and glucose differently, their skin ages more slowly and they have lower prevalence of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.
'The factors are all under strong genetic control, so we see the very same features in the children of very old people.'
The Methuselah genes - named after the oldest person in the bible, a patriarch who lived to be 969 - are believed to include ADIPOQ, a gene associated with metabolism which is found in about 10 per cent of young people but in 30 per cent of centenarians.
It is hoped the findings will enable scientists to invent an anti-ageing drug which will slow the ageing process down considerably. If it came about, it would be the ultimate blockbuster for the pharmaceutical industry as delaying the signs and symptoms of old age have long been a worldwide craze and one that people spend billions of pounds on every year.
Dr David Gems, a longevity researcher at University College London, believes that these treatments will become widespread.
'If we know which genes control longevity then we can find out what proteins they make and then target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing,' he said.
'We need to reclassify it as a disease rather than a natural, benign process. Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by aging. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are morally obliged to take it.'
Proof in Humans of RNA Interference Using Targeted Nanoparticles
PASADENA, Calif.—A California Institute of Technology (Caltech)-led team of researchers and clinicians has published the first proof that a targeted nanoparticle—used as an experimental therapeutic and injected directly into a patient’s bloodstream—can traffic into tumors, deliver double-stranded small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and turn off an important cancer gene using a mechanism known as RNA interference (RNAi). Moreover, the team provided the first demonstration that this new type of therapy, infused into the bloodstream, can make its way to human tumors in a dose-dependent fashion—i.e., a higher number of nanoparticles sent into the body leads to a higher number of nanoparticles in the tumor cells.
Suspended animation is within our grasp
Mark Roth studies suspended animation: the art of shutting down life processes and then starting them up again. It's wild stuff, but it's not science fiction. Induced by careful use of an otherwise toxic gas, suspended animation can potentially help trauma and heart attack victims survive long enough to be treated.
Humans could regrow body parts like some amphibians
Researchers have found that the gene p21 appears to block the healing power still enjoyed by some creatures including amphibians but lost through evolution to all other animals.
By turning off p21, the process can be miraculously switched back on.
Academics from The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia found that mice lacking the p21 gene gain the ability to regenerate lost or damaged tissue.
Unlike typical mammals, which heal wounds by forming a scar, these mice begin by forming a blastema, a structure associated with rapid cell growth.
How to live longer [Video]
London, England (CNN) -- CNN.com today featured a live Webcast of The Clinic, looking at how science is making progress in the quest for immortality.
CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta and world-renowned anti-aging experts discussed practical steps for living longer, and cutting-edge research that could dramatically extend human lives.
Best-selling author Dan Buettner has carried out extensive studies to identify longevity hotspots around the world, documented in his book "The Blue Zones."
He said his research had identified Costa Rica, Sardinia, in Italy, and Ikaria, in Greece, as places where people live longer. What the residents of these places had in common were diets low in meat, and lifestyles that nudged them towards exercise.
Geneticist Aubrey de Grey is the Chief Scientific Officer of SENS Foundation, which researches and promotes regenerative medicine. He said that techniques such as stem cell therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering could one day be used in combination to let humans live for hundreds of years.
Gingko Biloba and other ‘Natural’ Remedies May Be Dangerous
discovery.com, Thu Jan 28 - Last month, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba does not appear to help memory or slow the rate of cognitive decline in healthy older people.
On Yale neurologist Steven Novella’s “Science-Based Medicine” Web site he explained, “The study was a direct comparison of Gingko biloba at 120 mg twice a day versus placebo—a double blind, randomized, multi-center trial involving 3,019 subjects aged seventy-two to ninety-six, followed for a median of 6.1 years. Subjects were followed with standardized tests of cognitive function. The results are easy to report: every measure showed no difference between Gingko biloba and placebo. There was no difference in cognitive function, risk of developing dementia, rate of progression of dementia, or normal cognitive decline with aging.”
What You Eat After Exercise Matters
ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2010) — Many of the health benefits of aerobic exercise are due to the most recent exercise session (rather than weeks, months and even years of exercise training), and the nature of these benefits can be greatly affected by the food we eat afterwards, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.