C. elegans motor function lifespan is extended by inhibiting a single gene
Researchers from China’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Sichuan University have discovered genetic mechanisms that can prolong healthy aging. The team explains how they narrowed down the genomic pathways that could extend healthy human longevity to a single gene in the paper \”Partial Inhibition of Class III PI3K, VPS-34, Alleviates Motor Aging and Prolongs Health Span,\” published in PLOS biology.
Researchers investigated the role VPS-34 plays in motor aging using a combination genetic manipulation, behavioral tests, microscopy, and electrophysiology. The researchers were able to use these methods to gain insight into the molecular mechanism of motor aging, as well as the effects that VPS-34 inhibiting on motor function and synaptic transmission.
The authors claim that the increase in life expectancy over recent decades was not accompanied by an equivalent rise in health span. The decline of organs and tissue is one of the hallmarks of aging. Motor aging in particular leads to frailty and loss of motor autonomy, among other issues. It is important to promote healthy aging by identifying therapeutics that delay motor aging.
Source:
https://phys.org/news/2023-07-inhibiting-gene-motor-function-longevity.html
