X-Message-Number: 8464 Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 11:14:14 -0700 (PDT) From: John K Clark <> Subject: Longevity -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- A year or two ago a gene was found in the roundworm C.elegans that if mutated allowed the worm to live 8 times its normal life span. This is not quite as exciting as it seems because the mutation also slowed down everything in the animal about 8 times. In today's issue of the journal Science Dr. Gary Ruvkum found that if he made a change in another gene, called daf-2, the worm lived 3 times as long BUT without slowing the animal down and putting it into a general torpor. Ruvkum also found the daf-2 gene in humans and 35% of it is identical to the one in worms. In humans daf-2 codes for a protein in the outer wall of cells that is the receptor for insulin. Insulin is just information, it tells cells how much glucose to metabolize. The products of this metabolism are free radicals and other nasty things thought by many to be responsible for aging and the reason that animals on a very reduced diet live longer. People with non-insulin dependent diabetes also have a mutation in their daf-2 gene, although it's not know if it's the same one Ruvkum produced, these people can make insulin but can't use it efficiently, they don't live longer and that's puzzling. Maybe the extra glucose in the blood is more detrimental than other effects are helpful or maybe another mutation or another gene is involved, but I think it's hopeful and I'm not the only one. Longevity expert Dr. Caleb E Finch of The University of Southern California says "I think it's a gorgeous piece of work[...] the bottom line is that there may be fundamental mechanisms that prevail among all multicellular organisms and that may be very informative in managing human aging. [...] as we learn more about the specific behavior of genes that predispose to health problems we will be able to modify many aspects of aging". John K Clark -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.i iQCzAgUBM/SaC303wfSpid95AQET2wTwm3T/sIT7n7iB7b9NPVBS41BkeyMSgpjY rcMBk+fF2UTGI8HymrweC6g4wPmyzHqFlbwRpHNSYfcbQEwqvSMVdvSWszt4kNwf L7Jk4FQhiY0BhowDs9WMChAEn3yyjE1QXQy0RNnVqNoceRxeTK1sRLljAB7TprBy LJwyEraBa5PSaLaAYUDSATg80wp+jBhv3O2e9SJFm3oeZIJ0+7M=ZG4V -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=8464