Age Gene Discovery could Lead to Life Prolonging Drugs

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Scientists discover gene which could grant people “eternal” youth.

Scientists have identified a gene which determines how quickly a person ages, sparking fresh hopes of creating an “elixir of life” to slow the ageing process.

Whilst the idea may seem fantastical, researchers at the University of Leicester are hopeful that by manipulating DNA sequences, people will be able to live longer.

The research is all to do with telomeres, protective caps at the end of chromosomes. The Guardian employed the useful analogy of shoelaces: “Every time a cell divides, the telomeres shorten, like plastic tips fraying on a shoelace. When the telomeres become very short, the cell starts to malfunction and shows signs of ageing.”

Gene variants of the TERC gene have been found to influence how long telomeres are when a foetus is created. The gene is also responsible for the rate of decline of telomeres, with people ageing much more rapidly when telomeres shorten too quickly.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Professor Nilesh Samani of the University of Leicester said: “This gives us for the first time a better understanding of biological ageing. It is the first step to understanding why people age. Once we have a full understanding we should be able to manipulate it in a manner to influence how someone ages.”

Initial medical uses for the research are hoped to be developed in order to prolong the lives of patients with diseases which make them age rapidly or die particularly young. The research was carried out on over 10,000 test subjects with Professor Samani’s findings published in the journal Nature Genetics.