The genetic code for 10% longer life in humans

These genes have previously been found to extend the lifespan of small creatures, such as fruit flies by 10 percent, but this is the first time scientists have demonstrated the link in humans, they report in a new genome research paper.

Co-lead author Dr Nazif Arik (UCL Institute for Healthy Ageing) said: "We have found from extensive previous research that inhibiting certain genes in cells involved in making proteins can prolong the development of yeast, worms and worms.

"Here, we found that suppressing these genes may also increase people's longevity, perhaps because they are most useful early in life rather than causing problems later in life

These genes are involved in our cells' protein synthesis machinery, which is essential for life, but the researchers say it may be a role we don't need as much later in life

The researchers reviewed genetic data from previous studies involving 11,262 extra-long-lived individuals aged above the 90th percentile of the cohort

The scientists found that the effects of these genes were related to their expression in specific organs, including abdominal fat, liver and skeletal muscle, but they also found that the effects of genes on longevity were not only associated with any specific age-related disease

The findings provide further evidence that drugs such as rapamycin may help extend healthy lifespan

Professor Caroline Kuchenbeck, from the UCL Institute of Genetics, said: "Aging studies in model organisms (fruit flies) and ageing in humans are often independent of each other

Reference translation: "Mendelian randomization analyses implicate biogenesis of translation machinery in human aging" 25 January 2022, Genome Research .