Scientists Study The Genes That Cause Aging

At last, scientists have found the elusive genes that are linked to long lives and aging. They have found 238 genes that through removal can enhance the "replicative lifespan of S. cerevisiae yeast cells", according to scienceworldreport.

"This study looks at aging in the context of the whole genome and gives us a more complete picture of what aging is," explained Brian Kennedy, the main author of the new study, in a news release. "It also sets up a framework to define the entire network that influences aging in this organism."

So the scientists looked at 4,698 yeast strains, out of which each had a single gene deletion. Researchers were interested in discovering which strains had longer lives, so counted yeast cells, and recorded how the mother cell produces the number of daughter cells before stopping to divide.

The researchers could identify the different genes with their associated pathways and how they monitored aging in yeast. When they removed a gene called LOS1, they found that LOS1 could relocate transfer RNA (tRNA), bringing amino acids to ribosomes in order to build up proteins.

This was also impacted by mTOR, a genetic master switch that had links with caloric restriction and longer lives.

While the study is just a cog in the bigger machine that is trying to map the relationships between various gene pathways influencing aging, understanding the "critical process in yeast, worms and mammals", the study will finally lead to new therapies, say scientists.

"Almost half of the genes we found that affect aging are conserved in mammals," said Kennedy. "In theory, any of these factors could be therapeutic targets to extend healthspan. What we have to do now is figure out which ones are amenable to targeting."

The findings are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.