Newly discovered genetic switches that increase lifespan and boost fitness in worms are also linked to increased lifespan in mammals, offering hope that drugs to flip these switches could improve human metabolic function and increase longevity. These so-called epigenetic switches, discovered by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de… Continue reading A Genetic Flip-On Switch for Longevity
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A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer
Scientists have found a new “switch” in cells that may be key to healthy aging. Cells are constantly dividing, replacing tissue in organs such as the lungs, skin and liver. But that process eventually stops when a “timekeeper,” called a telomere, becomes too short and thus prevents any further division. (Telomeres are found at the… Continue reading A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer