Scientific research suggests that it is possible to put an end to the aging disease related to skin. Apparently, a gene variant propels biological aging in human beings.
University of Groningen in the Netherlands and University of Leicester, King’s College London made in-depth research finding out a gene variant associated with aging. The study was jointly carried out. The research sheds light on cancer (abnormal cells which perpetrate through the body without control)as well as aging for humans.
It should be known that aging has two perspectives; biological and chronological aging. Chronological aging is what we are most accustomed to. It is the time (month, years and decades) since our birth. However, biological aging is more complex it refers to the body cells, and damaged cause to these cells making you appear either young or old.
A co-author of the study, Dr Nilesh Samani, professor of cardiology from the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester proclaims that people are born with in particular condition. This includes the length of telomeres and these keeps on decreasing as one age. This is according to many scientists a general marker for biological aging.
It is also scientifically proven that most age-related disease like heart attack, arthritis , Alzheimer’s disease are more connected to biological aging instead of chronological aging.
Search Into the Deep and Find the Truth
The genome-wide explorative study was conducted on around 500,000 genetic variations for as many as 12,000 humans. The aim was to indentify the gene responsible for biological aging. The suspected gene variant for aging was “TERC”, which plays a basic role in assuring the length of telomeres. As mentioned, telomere shortening is a potential if not a general cause for biological aging amidst homo-sapiens.
The study showed that people having a high prevalence of this gene variant (TERC) had significantly shorter telomeres and this accounted for hasty aging.
According to another co-author of the study, Professor Tim Spector from King’s College London said that the effect TERC was substantial. People with this gene variant had shorter telomeres accounting for at least 3 to 4 years of biological aging.
Lesson Learned
Aging is yet a complex and unraveled challenge. According to, Dr Nilesh Samani, it is still not sure whether this gene variant makes one more susceptible to aging disease noting that shorter telomeres is a cause of aging-related diseases.
The focus of the study was to comprehend why people age. It will only be a question of time to manipulate aging once the causes and reasons for aging has been brought to the table.
This research itself pave a step forward in aging research. Someone with TERC gene variant, should avoid being obese, inactive and to smoke as it can increase the speed of aging rapidly.
Source: The MedGuru
Information was Published on: Online Journal Nature Genetics
Mon, Feb 15, 2010
Bioscience, Health And Aging, Longevity, Nanotechnology