Scientists have discovered a whole family of genes that appear to control lifespan, it was revealed today. It was already known that mice, rats, worms, flies and yeast can be made to live longer on a low calorie diet. A gene called SIR2 is thought to be involved in this process, which also protects mammals against cancer and other age-related illnesses. Now scientists in the United States have found four related genes of SIR2 that also seem to play a role in extending lifespan. This will help them to develop drugs that can “turn on” the gene and so lengthen life and prevent or treat diseases associated with ageing. Dr David Sinclair, director of the Paul F Glenn Laboratories for Ageing Research at Harvard Medical School in Boston, who co-led the study, said: “We think these new SIR2 genes are as important as any longevity genes discovered so far. “There is a growing realisation from the ageing field that we might finally understand how to control certain aspects of the ageing process and one day have drugs that can fight some of the disabilities the process causes.” The new findings appeared yesterday in the online edition of the journal Science.
