A biochemical pathway that helps keep cells alive when oxygen is low also plays a role in longevity and resistance against some diseases of old age, according to a report to be published April 16 in the journal Science.

A cell’s protective reaction to a drop in oxygen is called the hypoxic response. Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have found that nematode worms live longer if their genetic make-up permits their cells to turn on the hypoxic response under normal oxygen conditions.

Not only do these worms live longer, the researchers noted, their cells are relatively free from the toxic proteins that accumulate and clump together as an animal ages.

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While model organisms like fruit flies have been invaluable in identifying hundreds of genes associated with aging, there is still concern that any increases in fly lifespan simply cannot be expected to work in mammals. Kennedy and his group examined this issue by carefully analyzing age-related genes in yeast and the C. elegans worm, two organisms that diverged over a billion years ago.

They found a statistically significant connection in the genes and pathways that affect aging in both organisms, including reduced mTOR signaling. They suggest that the conservation of aging genes across animals exists not because specific genes have evolved to regulate aging, but rather because animals have evolved a similar response to nutrient restriction, and lifespan is tightly linked to this response, providing evidence that efforts in humans just might work.

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