Scientists identify new gene that could defeat aging

Scientists could take a step closer to discovering the secrets of anti-aging.

They discovered that boosting a gene we all have can slow the rate at which our cells wear out.

Chinese academics stumbled upon this discovery while studying the DNA of fruit flies, when they discovered that a single insect gene determined whether they died young.

They ran the gene against a human database and found a 93% match to a human gene, known as DIMT1.

In laboratory studies, they exposed human cells to radiation causing damage somewhat comparable to the age-related degradation that occurs in humans.

They found that cells that had an accelerated DIMT1 gene “aged” 65% more slowly than unmodified cells.

The team now hopes their findings will spur research into ways to activate this gene in people using modern medicine.

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The study was published in the journal Nature Aging.

The human and insect genes modify the shape and structure of their mitochondria, which play a role in balancing oxidative stress at the origin of the aging process.

Mitochondria are responsible for producing the energy (called ATP) that the cell needs to function, which is like our body's power plants that provide the energy that cells need to function.

If our cells don't get the energy they need, the body's tissues or organs don't function properly – and this triggers the aging process.

To find these anti-aging genes, the team examined 1,283 DNA segments in insects and discovered an uncharacterized CG11837 gene that regulates their lifespan.

When the researchers increased the activity of the gene, the fruit flies lived up to 59 percent longer.

Using the AlphaFold2 database, an AI program that predicted protein structures, the team searched for similar genes in humans.

They found that the structure of CG11837 was similar to that of the human DIMT1 gene.

The team carried out in vitro studies using human cells from an adult male, enhancing them to produce more DIMT1 over three days.

The modified cells grew at the same rate as the unmodified cells, but when the team exposed both groups to X-rays, which damage the cells, they observed a difference.

THE The improved group aged 65 percent less and grew 24 percent more than those in the control group.

The team believes their research is a step toward creating new gene therapies, designed to modify a person's gene to treat or cure a disease.

And researchers found that the treatment reversed aging in mice.

Mice given experimental gene therapy lived 109% longer after treatment than mice given a placebo.

This gene therapy is not yet available for humans, but experts estimate that it could be within five years.