Researchers Unlock the Secret to Aging

Researchers Unlock the Secret to Aging. A team of researchers has discovered they can extend the lives of mice by genetic manipulation, which mimics the health benefits of a low-calorie diet. Researchers have known for a while that consuming less calories may extend lifespan in some animals, however they have yet to figure out why. In this new research, released in the Oct. 2 issue of Science, scientists genetically manipulated mice and primates to block production of a protein that controls the body’s response to food intake without actually decreasing consumption. Knocking out the S6K1 gene only changed longevity in female mice; the reasons for that are not fully understood from the study. The research also offered a potential genetic drug target for protecting against aging-related diseases, they said. “What we have shown is that this gene is one that regulates life span and also determines how healthy animals are in middle and late age,” said Dominic Withers of the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology at University College London. The results of this new study have coincided with those of other recent studies, which have given evidence that cutting back the calorie intake in rats, mice, or more recently, primates, leads to an increase in their life span by 40 percent.