Scientists are one step closer to unraveling immortality.
In the course of research on roundworms, scientists have discovered a direct cause of aging and a possible way to slow it down. The genome of organisms contains many mobile genetic elements, known as transposons or "jumping genes", which can be activated, copied and moved inside the DNA, causing various disorders. Almost half (47 percent) of our DNA consists of such transposons.
These elements are usually "frozen" in chromosomes in a tightly packed and inaccessible region called heterochromatin, which allows cells to function without chaos and damage. However, recent studies have shown that transposon activity increases with age.
In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists from Hungary were able to suppress the activity of several families of transposons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which led to a significant increase in life expectancy. Blocking the transposons led to an increase in the worms life expectancy by one to four days, which is an increase of five to fifteen percent to the average life expectancy of 21 days.
Tibor Vellai, lead author of the study and a researcher in aging at Etves Lorand University in Hungary, said:: "It was a significant intervention. The article shows that aging is regulated by genetic factors, and not just by chance."
While research continues, scientists are also studying living organisms that appear to be immortal, such as the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish, which can reverse its life cycle when damaged, and the hydra, which has stem cells with the potential for endless self-renewal.
These discoveries may open up new horizons in understanding the aging process and developing methods to combat aging, potentially leading to a significant increase in human life expectancy and quality.
In the course of research on roundworms, scientists have discovered a direct cause of aging and a possible way to slow it down. The genome of organisms contains many mobile genetic elements, known as transposons or "jumping genes", which can be activated, copied and moved inside the DNA, causing various disorders. Almost half (47 percent) of our DNA consists of such transposons.
These elements are usually "frozen" in chromosomes in a tightly packed and inaccessible region called heterochromatin, which allows cells to function without chaos and damage. However, recent studies have shown that transposon activity increases with age.
In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists from Hungary were able to suppress the activity of several families of transposons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which led to a significant increase in life expectancy. Blocking the transposons led to an increase in the worms life expectancy by one to four days, which is an increase of five to fifteen percent to the average life expectancy of 21 days.
Tibor Vellai, lead author of the study and a researcher in aging at Etves Lorand University in Hungary, said:: "It was a significant intervention. The article shows that aging is regulated by genetic factors, and not just by chance."
While research continues, scientists are also studying living organisms that appear to be immortal, such as the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish, which can reverse its life cycle when damaged, and the hydra, which has stem cells with the potential for endless self-renewal.
These discoveries may open up new horizons in understanding the aging process and developing methods to combat aging, potentially leading to a significant increase in human life expectancy and quality.
