Gene Therapy Extends Mouse Lifespan

Grond writes "ScienceDaily reports, 'Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre have demonstrated that the mouse lifespan can be extended by the application in adult life of a single treatment acting directly on the animal's genes. Mice treated at the age of one lived longer by 24% on average (PDF), and those treated at the age of two, by 13%. The therapy, furthermore, produced an appreciable improvement in the animals' health, delaying the onset of age-related diseases — like osteoporosis and insulin resistance — and achieving improved readings on aging indicators like neuromuscular coordination.' Notably, the therapy did not cause an increase in the incidence of cancer."

Comments

THIS IS NOT NEWS

[Jane Q. Public]

Scientists at Harvard announced the very same thing, over a year and a half ago.

Re:THIS IS NOT NEWS

[Grond]

The Harvard researchers didn't use gene therapy to lengthen the telomeres. They engineered a knock-in allele encoding a 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT)-inducible telomerase reverse transcriptase-Estrogen Receptor (TERT-ER) under transcriptional control of the endogenous TERT promoter. Basically, the mice had short telomeres and the researchers could reactivate telomerase by administering 4-OHT. That's genetic engineering, not gene therapy in adult mice.

Furthermore, the Harvard researchers showed the reversal of artificially-induced aging, but not an increase in lifespan. The researchers in this study demonstrated an increase in lifespan in normal mice.

The Harvard study showed that improving telomerase activity could reverse or slow aging, but it didn't show how to actually accomplish this in normal, adult organisms. That's what the researchers in this study have done, at least in mice.

Re:Rats!

[John Bokma]

Avg. life expectancy USA male: 75.6 (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy)

Roy Walford died at age 79 of respiratory failure as a complication of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Walford)

Love your rage dripping between the lines, though

Re:your chronological age will still increase

[durrr]

What you mean to say is that everyones suffer constant genetic damage that in the absence of cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair mechanism and improper regulation of apoptosis(cellular selfdestruction) and whatnot else would most likely lead to cancer in a short time.

Some people actually have cancers that are contained and are free from symtoms, but this should be detected and treated as the very hallmark of cancer is their tissue-invasive and metetastatic properties, so given time, they will try their best to kill you if left alone.

But no, everyone do not have cancer.