SECRET OF YOUTH UNLOCKED AT LAST!
GROUNDBREAKING research has pinpointed the cause of aging — paving the way for a Fountain of Youth in a pill! Scientists at Northwestern University say their major genetic analysis of both animals and humans linked shorter genes to shorter lifespans.
The length of a gene is based on its total amount of nucleotides, which contribute to the formation of proteins. When there is an uneven balance of long and short proteins, problems can occur. The researchers found such system-wide changes — and not a small subset of genes — appeared to contribute to poor health and biological aging.
The scientists believe understanding the process may one day allow them to hijack the mechanism — and turn back the clock!
After completing a survey of data from fish and rodents, the team examined human genes from subjects aged 30 and older. They found measurable changes in gene activity according to gene length occurred by midlife.
Dr. Thomas Stoeger, lead author of the study, notes, “There already seems to be something happening early in life, but it becomes more pronounced with age.
“It seems that, at a young age, our cells are able to counter perturbations that would lead to an imbalance in gene activity. Then, suddenly, our cells are no longer able to counter it.”
But the team hopes a pharmaceutical intervention may be on the horizon.
Colleague Luis Amaral explains, “Fevers can occur for many, many reasons. It could be caused by an infection, which requires antibiotics to cure, or caused by appendicitis, which requires surgery.
“Here, it is the same thing. The issue is the gene activity imbalance. If you can help correct the imbalance, then you can address the downstream consequences.”