A group of scientists from Russia and the United States studied the effect of 17 different ways to prolong life on the work of genes in mice. The researchers published an article on genes - biomarkers of life extension in the journal Cell Metabolism.
“We got these changes in gene activity in response to eight different ways to prolong life. Adding to these the results published by other scientific groups, we obtained data on the effect of 17 treatments. And although, in general, the effect of various therapies could be quite specific, a certain group of genes similarly changed their activity in response to a variety of influences, said the lead author of the study, employee of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology Alexander Tyshkovsky.
There are dozens of ways to prolong the life of organisms from yeast to mammals. These include drugs (such as rapamycin), genetic modifications (such as mutations that disrupt growth hormone synthesis), and diets (such as low calorie). Some of the targets to which these effects are directed are also known. However, there is no complete picture of the molecular mechanisms that prolong life.
A group of scientists from Skoltech, Moscow State University and Harvard University decided to fill this gap and identify the key molecular processes associated with life extension. To do this, the researchers studied the effects of lifespan-prolonging treatments on the activity of the body's genes. All experiments were carried out on mice - laboratory animals closest to humans.
The researchers used the discovered biomarkers to search for potentially new ways to prolong life. Several of these were found. Among them were chronic oxygen deficiency and some chemical compounds. In addition to their work, scientists have developed the GENtervention application, which can be used to check how the activity of a particular gene affects life expectancy.