New Research Could Slow Human Aging

schliz writes "A team of scientists from Japan and New Zealand have helped baker's yeast live 50% longer than usual by artificially stabilizing a genetic sequence called ribosomal DNA. The study's authors say that rDNA is a 'hot spot for production of the aging signal.' Because rDNA genes are very similar in yeast and humans, they say their experiment is a first step towards anti-aging drugs."

Comments

How does that work?

[Anonymous Coward]

So, by doing new research, I won't age as fast?

Re:How does that work?

[Mitchell314]

Well, remaining mentally and physically active has been linked to prolonged life spans . . .

Re:How does that work?

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Well, remaining mentally and physically active has been linked to prolonged life spans . . .

And vice versa, confirmed by a recent study on a large group of scientists with the control group being the local cemetery.

Re:How does that work?

[cayenne8]

over active people also wear out their body parts with the exertion. there is a happy medium though and i think that it just needed to be clarified. if you run several super marathons every year its going to kill you early... if you run a 5k it's all good.

I think more studies are showing that intermittent interval sorts of exercise are the best.

You do explosive runs for short bursts...and then do slow walking, lower activities in between, but these short intense explosions of activity mixed with low intensity activity seems to have the best effect on the human body.

At least from what I'm reading these days...

Re:How does that work?

[mcgrew]

And as this study shows, genetics can play an even larger part. But try convincing my 84 year old mother that, she's convinced eating right and getting exercise was why she's old and healthy, despite the fact that she's the baby of the family and almost all of her siblings are still alive. One is 99 and owned a bar when she was middle aged, my guess from knowing bar owners she was far from a teetotaler.

Now I understand what part of my DNA had the health screeners say my vitals showed a healthy forty year old and excellent for someone 61. They thought I must work out, but I get little exercise and eat a lot of junk food, drink a little beer and have smoked pot for four decades. Most people are amazed that I'm over 50. Of course, my rDNA won't keep me from staggering in front of a bus or something.

If all your grandparents died of natural causes before age 60, no amount of diet or exercise will keep you alive past 70. But perhaps this research will come up with something that will.

Re:How does that work?

[bitt3n]

Well, remaining mentally and physically active has been linked to prolonged life spans . . .

not just linked. there's a concrete relationship: 100% of dead people are neither mentally nor physically active.

But

[nani popoki]

...when 900 yeas old you be, look so good you will not!

Re:But

[macraig]

Even at 900, spell better than you Yoda could!

Re:With a world population of 7 billion,

[jedidiah]

Don't be silly. The poor won't get to stop aging at 30. They will get screwed just like they always have. Only the ultra wealthy will have access to this stuff. Only a small subset of the population will get to stop aging at 30. The rest will get shortened lifespans if anything.

Re:With a world population of 7 billion,

[gl4ss]

longer life expectancy correlates with smaller population growth.. just saying.

btw if you want to buy some fresh water I got plenty to sell. it's not running out. moving it to where people for some stupid historical reason want to live is the problem...

What exactly is slowed?

[jasnw]

Does this sort of thing cover both the aging of the body and the brain? What's the gain in living to be 150 if your brain stops functioning at any sort of useful level at age 70? Yeah, "lots of people" are still firing on all mental cylinders at age 70, but most are not. If everyone is alive up to age 150 but is a non-productive consumer of stuff starting at age 70 this whole "live long and prosper" thing will be a total nightmare. Even if brain aging is held in check, do we have the resources to support that many human beings on this planet?

Yes

[the eric conspiracy]

.... because people's brains are just like baker's yeast.

Or is it that most people's brains seem to function like they are made up of baker's yeast?

Anyway 50% more of that doesn't sound particularly wonderful.

People forget the most important reason..

[t0qer]

Forget vanity, we need to stop aging for one simple reason...

Space Travel

We still haven't created engines that can go 1/10th light speed. So even at best, a 40 light year trip to Alpha Centari will take 400 years even at that speed. OK forget other solar systems, just colonizing mars is going to require us to get the most out of the humans lifetimes we send there.

Re:Are governments interested in long lifespans?

[the eric conspiracy]

I agree that this would create massive social issues.

However the idea that delaying the retirement age is politically difficult is only valid in the current context. In a society where people live 50% longer I think there would be great political will to adjust the retirement age to compensate.

It's been done before in response to much weaker motivation.

It may ultimately have big economic advantages. For example:

1. Increased incentive to take care of one's health.
2. Better return (over a longer lifetime) on the costs of raising and educating a child.
3. Increased incentives to save.
4. Better depth of experience for making decisions by adults.

The bad side:

Without term limits we could end up with some really fucking old Congressmen and members of the Supreme Court.