Pathways that could one day extend lifespan by 500 percent identified

Researchers from the MDI Biological Laboratory, in collaboration with scientists from the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing in Novato, California and Nanjing University in China, reported the discovery of synergetic pathways, which when manipulated have the potential to extend human life to 500 years one day. 

The research, reported in the peer-reviewed journal “Cell” identified synergistic cellular pathways for longevity that amplify lifespan fivefold in C. legans, a nematode worm used as a model in ageing research. The worm, C. legans, is regularly used in ageing research because it shares many of its genes with humans and its short lifespan of only three to four weeks allows scientists to quickly assess the effects of genetic and environmental interventions to extend healthy lifespan. 

The researchers discovered two major pathways governing ageing in C. legan. These pathways are "conserved," meaning that they have been passed down to humans through evolution and been the subject of intensive research with several drugs that alter these pathways now under development. In this groundbreaking study, scientists used a double mutant in which the insulin signalling (IIS) and TOR pathways were genetically altered. The TOR pathway is a central regulator of cell metabolism, growth, proliferation and survival. Because alteration of the IIS pathways is expected to yield a 100 percent increase in lifespan and alteration of the TOR pathway yields a 30 percent increase, the scientists expected the double mutant to extend life by 130 percent longer. But instead, the researchers discovered that its lifespan was amplified by 500 percent. The increase in lifespan would be the equivalent of a human living for 400 or 500 years, according to the scientists. 

The discovery of the synergistic effect opens the door to even more effective anti-ageing approaches but also highlights the need to appreciate that nothing in nature exists in a vacuum. In order to develop the most effective anti-ageing approaches and treatments, this study highlights the need to look at longevity networks rather than focus on just the individual pathway. The synergetic interaction discovered in this study may also explain why scientists have been unable to identify a single gene responsible for the ability of some people to live to extraordinary old ages free of major age-related diseases. It may also be a step on the way to humans living well beyond anything currently imaginable.

You can access the full research article here.