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Life can be five times longer
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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The lifespan of different organisms can also vary, and this depends on many factors. For decades, scientists have been trying to make progress in the field of extending lifespan and preventing aging. And over time, humanity really does have hope - primarily thanks to new technologies and, of course, the persistence of researchers.
A group of scientists from around the world have discovered how to extend the life of nematodes fivefold. The new method required only a few changes at the gene level.
The standard life span of nematodes is 2-3 weeks, but scientists were able to increase it, and by 500% at once. By the way, not long before this, it was possible to double the life span of Caenorhabditis elegans by artificially suppressing the expression of the DAF-2 gene. The sensory endings encoding this gene are of key importance in the mechanism of the insulin impulse pathway. The life extension of worms by about 30% also occurs with the suppression of the gene activity of another signal protein substance - RSKS-1, which takes part in the rapamycin impulse pathway.
In their new study, the scientists tried to influence two discovered pathways simultaneously – insulin and rapamycin. As it was found, after “reworking” these pathways, a reaction to mitochondrial stress occurred, which contributed to the extension of the life span by 4-5 times.
"The dramatic increase in efficiency was incredible - it was like expecting '1+1=2' and getting '1+1=5'," says biologist Dr. Jarod Rollins. According to the biologist, this discovery reminds scientists again that the aging process is not the result of any one protein or gene, but a consequence of their complex interactions.
The researchers indicated that inhibition of DAF-2 and RSKS-1 production stimulates the signal protein substance GLD-1, which chain-reduces cytochrome activity and leads to the start of stress mitochondrial defense processes. In addition, protein kinases are stimulated, which favor switching the cell to a more energy-saving operating mode.
It should be noted that the IIS and TOR impulse pathways are highly conserved, so they are practically the same even in humans and Caenorhabditis elegans. This point can be used for further research, and most likely this will happen. However, today it is too early to talk about predictions of prolonging human life in this way.
More details about the news can be found in the Cell Reports publication and in a special publication by MDI Biological Laboratory.