A DNA Methylation Signature is Shared Between Calorie Restriction, mTOR Inhibition, and Growth Hormone Inhibition

Calorie restriction, mTOR inhibition, and blockade of growth hormone interaction with its receptor all result in slowed aging and extension of healthy life span in mice. These interventions beneficially alter the operation of metabolism in humans, but do not enhance human life span to anywhere near the same degree; the current consensus suggests that an additional five years is probably the largest effect that could be expected to exist. The mechanisms involved overlap, and nutrient sensing plays an important role. Thus researchers looking for common epigenetic signatures shared by all of these interventions have found such shared signatures. Long ago, the earliest organisms evolved to better maintain themselves in response to seasonal famine, extending their lives and raising the odds of successful reproduction later. That ability has been passed down over evolutionary time, and is present in near all species tested to date. The shorter the species life span, the greater the relative extension of life needed to pass through a season of famine. Thus mice that live only a couple of years can extend their lives by as much as 40% via stress triggers such as limited nutrient intake, while humans with a life span of decades do not exhibit a significant extension of life in this circumstance. Much of the same cellular machinery exists in both species, however, explaining why humans can obtain health benefits from the practice of calorie restriction. Dietary, pharmac...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs