Scientists at Lancaster University, University College London and Queen Mary College have found that aging in roundworms is due to the work of unwanted genes, and not due to wear and tear. Researchers believe the same mechanism is present in humans. This is reported by the EurekAlert! Edition.
According to experts, biological processes that are the norm for a young developing organism continue to occur at a later age, disrupting the homeostasis of the body. As a result, diseases such as dementia, cancer, disorders of the cardiovascular system and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease occur.
Scientists analyzed the signs of aging in the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans, whose laboratory strains live for 2-3 weeks. It turned out that one of the main roles is played by genes that encode proteins involved in the autophagy process, when the cell processes its own components. It turned out that at a later age, autophagy causes a serious deterioration in the condition of the intestines and leads to death.
Similar processes, when the development program turns into harmful "quasi-programs", are observed in people. For example, in women, the process of leaching calcium from the bones, designed to form milk for breastfeeding, can lead to negative consequences after menopause, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and calcification of blood vessels.