longevity tagged posts

Clusters of Genes help Mice Live Longer

Genetic analyses in UM-HET3 mice used in the Interventions Testing Program highlight sex- and
age-specific longevity loci. Body weight associates with longevity, as does litter size, through its effect on
body weight. Mendelian randomization in humans recapitulated these relationships between early growth
and life span. Gene expression analyses, cross-species integration, and Caenorhabditis elegans life-span
experiments highlight candidate longevity genes and provide a resource for further investigation.

Researchers from the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Interventions Testing Program recently reported the discovery of multiple candidate genes that influence longevity...

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Secrets of Aging Revealed in Largest Study on Longevity, Aging in Reptiles and Amphibians

Painted turtle (stock image).
Credit: © Brian E Kushner / stock.adobe.com

An international team of 114 scientists reports the most comprehensive study of aging and longevity to date of reptiles and amphibians worldwide. Among their many findings, they document for the first time that turtles, crocodilians and salamanders have particularly low aging rates and extended lifespans for their sizes. The team also finds that protective phenotypes, such as the hard shells of most turtle species, contribute to slower aging, and in some cases even ‘negligible aging’ – or lack of biological aging.

At 190 years old, Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise recently made news for being the “oldest living land animal in the world...

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Cutting Calories and Eating at the Right Time of day leads to Longer Life in Mice

Experiments that tested various diet plans in mice found that the animals live longest on a low-calorie diet with daily fasting periods. Credit: Fernando Augusto/made-for.studio 

In a study that followed hundreds of mice over their lifespans, calorie restriction combined with time-restricted eating boosted longevity. One recipe for longevity is simple, if not easy to follow: eat less. Studies in a variety of animals have shown that restricting calories can lead to a longer, healthier life.

Now, new research suggests that the body’s daily rhythms play a big part in this longevity effect...

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Convergent Mechanism of Aging discovered

Fig. 3
dhfr-1i affects the methionine cycle and mimics methionine restriction.

Several different causes of ageing have been discovered, but the question remains whether there are common underlying mechanisms that determine ageing and lifespan. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and the CECAD Cluster of Excellence in Ageing research at the University Cologne have now come across folate metabolism in their search for such basic mechanisms. Its regulation underlies many known ageing signalling pathways and leads to longevity. This may provide a new possibility to broadly improve human health during ageing.

In recent decades, several cellular signalling pathways have been discovered that regulate the lifespan of an organism and are thus of enormous importance for a...

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