Science & Technology

Deleting genes could extend human lifespan

By T.K. Randall
October 12, 2015 ·  10 comments

Our genes could hold the key to improved longevity. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 CSIRO The quest for immortality has been going on for centuries, but even with the advances of modern medicine we have still yet to find a way to halt or reverse the inevitable ageing process.

Now however scientists may have made a significant breakthrough in this area thanks to a 10-year research project by the Buck Institute for Research on Ageing and the University of Washington.

The team has succeeded in identifying a total of 238 genes that if switched off could provide a significant boost to a person's expected lifespan - even increasing it by as much as 60%.

"This study looks at aging in the context of the whole genome and gives us a more complete picture of what ageing is," said lead author Dr Brian Kennedy.""What we have to do now is figure out which [genes] are amenable to targeting."

The discovery follows on from that of scientists at the University of Southern California who earlier this year found a way to slow down ageing through a special diet plan that mimics fasting.

The year before that they also found that fasting can regenerate the immune system and provide a number of other significant health benefits.

Whether these concepts can be adapted for use in the real world however remains to be seen.

Source: Telegraph | Comments (10)

Tags: Old Age, Immortality