Researchers discover genes to prolong human life

-
 A team of researchers has recently discovered new genes linked to parents' lifespan, which can one day be targeted to help prolong human life.
According to the University Of Exeter Devon, South West England, United Kingdom researchers, genetics and how long our parental relatives lived also plays a role.
Now, the number of genes we know influence lifespan has expanded, potentially paving the way to new therapeutic targets to prolong life.
The team studied 389,166 volunteers who took part in the UK Biobank, with confirmation in the US Health and Retirement Study and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.
They undertook a genome-wide search for variants influencing how long participants' parents lived.
The DNA samples from the volunteers carry the genetics of their biological parents, so provide a practical way of studying exceptionally long lifespans.
Eight genetic variants had already been linked for lifespan, mainly involved in heart disease and dementia.
The latest study has expanded this to 25 genes in all, with some specific to mothers' or fathers' lifespan separately.
Study author Dr Luke Pilling said: "We have identified new pathways that contribute to survival, as well as confirming others. These targets, including inflammatory and cardiovascular pathways, offer potentially modifiable targets to reduce risk of an earlier death and improve health."
Genes involved in senescence, the 'frozen' state that cells enter into after being damaged, played an important role in longevity.
Genes related to inflammation and auto-immunity related genes were also prominent, opening up the possibility that precision anti-inflammatory treatments may one day be helpful in extending life.
The results confirm that many genetic variants combine to influence human lifespan: no single gene variant was found to be responsible.
The study found evidence to suggest that the genetic variants for average lifespan also influence exceptionally long life expectancy.
A genetic risk score combining the top ten variants was statistically associated with parents being centenarians.
Lead researcher David Melzer said the study help open the way to novel treatment, but the strong role for genes affecting heart disease risk again underlines the importance of controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels throughout the lifespan.
Of course, adopting healthy lifestyles is important, and can probably overcome the negative effects of most of the genes found so far, the researchers concluded.
The research appears in the journal Aging NY.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New UGC rules permit third-party agencies to accredit higher education institutes

-
Image
Agencies other than the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) will soon be able to evaluate higher education institutions as the University Grants Commission (UGC) has passed a new regulation permitting their entry. The new rules, which were approved by the Commission in a meeting held this month, enables UGC to grant licences to third-party agencies for accreditation of educational institutes. The regulation now awaits HRD Ministry’s nod. Among the new accreditation bodies will be one spearheaded by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), sources told The Indian Express. The premier engineering schools, in a meeting of IIT directors held in Chennai last month, have agreed to set up a Section 8 company, which will apply for a licence under the new UGC regulation. The decision was taken at the behest of the Union government, which feels that the involvement of IITs will lend prestige to the accreditation process. The id
Read more

Valla Sadhya

-
Image
Valla Sadhya Sadya items ready to be served, clockwise from top: paayasam, bittergourd thoran, aviyal, kaalan, lime pickle, sambar; buttermilk with boiled rice in the center. Valla Sadya is a celebration in the Hindu temple at Aranmula, Kerala, India. During the festival the village conducts a snake boat race in the Pampa River, and there is a feast at the temple. The Valla Sadhya is conducted on Ashtamirohoni day.  During Valla Sadhya, Lord Krishna, the main deity worshipped in the temple, will come to take the offerings from people. The legend is that in a Valla Sadya all dishes asked for must be given to the people in order to please the lord.
Read more

Bangladesh: Govt takes up Ashrayan-3 project to shelter Rohingya refugees

-
In addition to the temporarily shelter of Rohingya refugees, the cost of construction of necessary infrastructure for the island will be BDT 2,312 crores. The project will be implemented by the Bangladesh Navy under the Prime Minister's Office of the government's priority list. Bangladesh government has taken a project called 'Ashrayan-3' for temporary housing of one lakh Rohingya people. This project will be implemented in Bhasanchar of Hatiya upazila in Noakhali district. Although Bangladesh has more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in which, more than 6,25,000 Rohingyas have fled violence in Myanmar to seek refuge in Cox's Bazar of Bangladesh, since August 25. In addition to the temporarily shelter of Rohingya refugees, the cost of construction of necessary infrastructure for the island will be BDT 2,312 crores. The project will be implemented by the Bangladesh Navy under the Prime Minister's Office of the government's priority list.
Read more