In accordance to scientists, there now exist a test that can genetically predict if a person will be able to reach his 100th birthday.

Researchers of Yale University and Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Boston Medical Center, IRCCS Multimedica found in Milan in Italy had undertaken this study. This research claims that, based on the age of the subject, it is able to forecast an outstanding lifespan with up to 80% of accuracy.

According to this research, centenarians are role models of aging healthily, for the start of disability in such persons is in most cases delayed till they have reached their mid-90s.

Due to the fact that an extraordinary prolonged lifespan can run powerfully in families as well as because several studies on animals have implied that strong genes have an impact on an extended lifespan, the scientists embark on their journey to establish which are those genetic variants that have a strong role to play in man survival after his 100 years.

The research discovered that subjects who had common profile of deviation for genetic markers seem to share comparable degrees of threat for different traits or illnesses linked with outstanding longevity.

Individuals sharing such genetic characteristics may look forward to enjoy longer lives. The research may moreover provide an explanation as to why living more than 100 years old seems to run in the blood.

The findings of this study are the amended version of the work that was initially published the previous year in Science. The first version was withdrawn voluntarily. The most recent version comprises of data from very old individuals, with a mean age of 107.

An associate professor of medicine, Thomas Perls, of the Boston University School of Medicine, portrayed the results of the study as being a constructive move towards significant predictive medicine as well as personal genomics.

He advanced that when researchers are able to so this type of analysis on a complete genome series for traits which have considerable genetic mechanisms, the predictive significance should be much more.

Dr Perls went on to say that more in-depth research regarding such genetic traits could provide a profound understanding of the biological and genetic sources of postponing or avoiding age-related illnesses and thus attaining an extended lifespan.

This novel methodology regarding genetic data is applicable to several other complicated inherited characteristics. Researchers are now hoping that other research teams to apply these approaches to their fact and figures.

Source: New Zealand Herald

Anti Aging, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Longevity

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2012. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Anti Aging, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Longevity.

At the same time the death rate of Americans has experienced a drop of 0.5% in one single year; from 2009 to 2010. The United States death rate has witnessed its lowest rate that it has ever known. In accordance to the recent set of information received from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, there are 746.2 deaths for every 100,000 persons, which is an extremely low figure.

America has been able to see a decline in its death rate as the nation’s principal killers, cancer and heart diseases, which accounted for 47% of the country’s mortality in the year 2010, have also experienced a decrease. Death due to heart disease decreased by 2.4%, and those linked with cancer went down by 0.6%.

The report has based itself on 98% of death certificates that have been made accessible to the NCHS. Certificates were obtained from the District of Columbia as well as from fifty other states.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine’s acting regional chair, Dr. David McClellan, stated that all these statistic is leading to the fact the there is an improvement in the nation’s health; people’s life expectancy has increased and this is great news. However, on the other hand, age-related illnesses are beginning to become more significant.

For example, pneumonitis, also known as aspiration pneumonia usually occurs when a person becomes so old and incapacitated that they are not able to swallow. Dr. David McClellan explained that this could be a result of dementia or even the after effects usually associated with stroke.

He furthermore stated that there is still much to be done regarding the fight against the obesity, smoking epidemic and unbalanced diet as well as insufficient exercise. He is of view that if the outbreak of smoking could at least be brought under control, America death rates would drop even more.

The hematology/oncology’s chairman of Ochsner Health System, located in Baton Rouge, Brooks, is even more optimistic; in his point of view, this is excellent new. Americans are being able to have a better grip on heart diseases and cancer by bringing a decrease in smoking.

Additionally, Brooks said that statins also have a significant role to play in the reduction of mortality toll due to heart disease, whereas cancer screening is proving to be beneficial in saving lives as well.

Minor changes in the positions of other grounds of mortality have also been observed.
Pneumonitis has replaced homicide, which was positioned in the first 15 category since the year 1965.

Influenza/ pneumonia and kidney disease exchanged places. The former is ranked 9th while the latter is in the 8th position.

A serious drop has been seen in influenza and pneumonia. Winthrop University Hospital’s, located in Mineola, New York, chairman of medicine, Dr. Michael Niederman, explained that some time back, they were ranked among the top six most important causes of death.

He views this being truly encouraging as according to him America is currently dealing with an older population which comprises of patients who suffer from pneumonia regularly. However, this confirms the national precedence on vaccination; pneumococcal as well as influenza.

Parkinson’s, hypertension, liver disease, septicemia, suicide, kidney disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, accidents, stroke and chronic lower respiratory diseases are among the other principal reasons of mortality.

According to Brooks, it is noteworthy that the majority of these illnesses are directly linked to the ageing population.

That is not all, mortality rates also went down for accidents (by 1.1%), respiratory diseases (by 1.4%), stroke (by 1.5%), septicemia (by 3.6%) and pneumonia and influenza (by 8.5 %) .

On the contrary, Parkinson’s disease has increased by 4.6%, cirrhosis and liver disease by 3.3%, pneumonitis by 4.1%, kidney disease by 1.3% and Alzheimer’s disease by 3.3%.
These diseases remain among the five top causes of death.

Between the year 2009 and the year 2010, a decline of 13.3% in the mortality rate of HIV/AIDS was seen. Even though the latter was not found among the fifteen principal killers, it was treated as being a considerable concern, in particular for persons aged between 15 and 64.

Infant death rate also witnessed a decline; it went down by 3.9% as from the year 2009.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that Lenox Hill Hospital’s, preventive cardiologist, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, put in a word of caution against being too enthusiastic regarding the findings.

She expressed that while this remains good news, there is no reason to be overjoyed. The high rate in diabetes, obesity, cholesterol, blood pressure, is leading people to start getting sick much younger.

Source: Your Life USA Today

Read: Poor American Longevity Raises Questions

Anti Aging, Longevity

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2012. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Anti Aging, Longevity.

Is it really possible – Dog 182 years old?

We all know that one human year is equivalent to seven dog years but is it really possible to live to 182 years. Based on reasonable evaluation of gerontology research, we could estimate the real lifespan of Pusuke to have been 100 to 110 years old

for dogs, the physiological and chronological age doesn’t follow a linear relationship. Apparently, young dogs tend to age very fast, while the rate of aging does thereafter slow down in middle age. In late life, the aging process re-accelerates, as for instant:

- A Miniature Poodle is after one calendar year equivalent to 11 dog years old
- A Miniature Poodle is 42 dogs years at middle age, while 14 human years is equivalent to 67 years
- For Great Danes – with shorter lifespan – after one calendar year the dog is 27 years
- Great Danes at 7 years is equivalent to 59 dog years and at 14 years, 98 dog years.

Longevity of Dogs

For mammals such as dogs, their longevity is influenced by various factors such as body weight and breed. Small dogs tend to outlive bigger dogs. This shows that there is an inverse relation between longevity and body weight. This is something that applies uniquely for dogs, as for other mammals the contrary applies.

Researchers Forgot the Cat!

There is less research available on cat age in association to human age. But a Siamese cat is believed to have lived up to 23 years.

Related Articles:

1. Your Dog’s Lifespan Is Determined by Its Personality
2. What Can Human Beings Learn From Dogs Regarding Longevity?

Source: WEB MD

Bioscience, Gerontology

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2012. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Bioscience, Gerontology.

Super-centenarians’ (people living to 110 or beyond) are uncommon in the general population. In developed countries only one person out of every 5 million is predisposed to live to 110 years or beyond. An American research team has found evidence showing that genetics seems to be one of the main reasons for extreme longevity.

The current study was categorized as ‘a first-of-a-kind’ where the complete genome sequence of a woman and man aged past 114 years was studied. It was found that they had an equal amount of disease-related genes as the general public.

It was found that the man had 37 genetic mutations, which were related to colon cancer. According to Dr. Thomas Perls, who is the Director of the New England Centenarian Study, mentioned that the man had in his earlier life experienced obstructing colon cancer which hadn’t metastasized when it was treated with surgery. At Boston University Medical Center, Perls said that the man was in good physical and mental condition until his death.

In addition, the woman did also have a high volume of genetic variations, which were directly associated to age-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and Alzhemier’s disease. But, it was only in her late life; around 108, that she started to develop mild cognitive impairment and congestive heart failure.

Other research teams have found similar finding; suggesting that centenarians have an equal amount of disease-related genes as the overall population. According to Perls, centenarians seem to have longevity-associated genes, which eradicate the negative effect of the disease genes. These longevity variants do either delay disease or in some cases prevent the diseases from even occurring. In most cases, the diseases tend to be delayed, and this enables these people to live almost to the human lifespan limit.

On the 3rd of January 2012, the study was published in the Journal Frontiers in Genetics. The information is also available at U.S National Institute of Health.

Sources: Family Doctor and USA Today

Anti Aging, Gerontology

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2012. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Anti Aging, Gerontology.

A group of research from University of California, San Diego found that good sex can add up to a decade of life expectancy. Satisfying sex can help people in their 80’s to enjoy a high quality of life.

From Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego the researchers found that sexual satisfaction for elderly women was highly correlated to successful aging as well as highly quality of life.

This study was released online in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. The report indicates that quality of life; successful aging and sexual satisfaction were strongly related even in age of 60 to 89 were women experience a decline in physical health.

In the research, 1,235 women who were involved in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was scrutinized. WHI has been a major research program sponsored by the National Institute of health since 2003, focusing on finding causes of disability, death, and levels of quality of life for above 160 thousands vigorous post-menopausal women.

In research, groups were stratified into various age groups:

- 60 to 69 years
- 70 to 79 years
- 80 to 89 years

The researchers found at the end of the study that 61 percent of the group aged 80 and above said they had a satisfied sex life.

This same study was given emphasis when published in Indian News, giving various indicators of how sexual life contributes to longevity.

A recent TNN report suggests that regular sex enhance the brain power as well as positive hormone levels of an individual. In addition, orgasm has positive effects to the immune system as well. It strengthens the infection-fighting cells by approximately 20 percent.

Surprisingly, when couple experience orgasms they should hug each other as it facilitate the excretion of oxytocin hormone, which is directly linked to life expectancy.

It is really fascinating, cuddling increase’s people’s longevity, and in addition, being in relation reduces the risk of depression and chronic diseases.

According to the research, cuddling can increase life expectancy by as much as seven years.

Besides, satisfied sex keeps you physically and mentally healthy. It enhances your heart, brain and several hormones.

Men who are involved in at least three or more times of physical relationship in a week have 50 percent less risk of stroke and heart attack.

At any age, sex induces endorphins, which make you feel good and therefore lower stress significantly.

So simply by establishing planned sex a couple can increase their longevity by 2 to more years. Generally, sex is restricted to only night hours, but this need not necessary be so. Couples should enjoy sex whenever they feel the moment is right.

In addition, healthy food is essential for an individual to be able to have an enhanced sexual performance, and therefore, healthy food is directly and indirectly linked to longevity.

If you aren’t used to practice exercise, than sex can help you to boost the blood circulation and to burn some calories. Good sex can provide the same benefit as regular exercises.

So the prescription for planned sex provides the same benefits as regular exercises; 20 minutes of active sex can augment your metabolism and burn 30 calories.

For the case, of women sex does also reduce the risk of osteoporosis problems. Apparently, middle-aged women who have sex weekly have as much as 100 percent stronger protection to bones (Oestrogen levels) in contrast to women who do not have regular sex.

So a balance diet can boost the endurance, and thereafter help to promote satisfied sex experienced, which are pleasurable and at the same time fun.

It is a great strategy to add another decade to your life expectancy; satisfied sex life.

Source: India blooms

Anti Aging, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Longevity

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2012. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Anti Aging, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Longevity.

According to Dr. Michael Roizen, U.S President age twice as fast as typical American men. Roizen is sure about his finding, as a top graduated student in his UC San Francisco Medical School class as well at Harvard Hospital. He has also edited six medical journals and do actually occupy the post as chairmen at the Well Institute at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic.

Most of his calculations are explained on the site he founded together with Dr. Mehmet Oz; RealAge (www.realage.com). ndar year isn’t always tantamount to the annual wear and tear of all human bodies. For example, Dr. Roizen is currently 65 years based on the calendar year. However, RealAge estimates his age to be 43.8 (Dec, 2011)

Roizen applied the same mental models used to estimate his age to that of the 20th century presidents (Including George W. Bush as well as President Obama’s Inauguration). In an interview with ‘CNN’, he said that an individual does in generally age one year in a calendar year. Yet, a president tends to age two years for every single year that they occupy the office.

The fact that presidents are faced with an accelerated aging process was mentioned again in CBS News on Obama’s 50th birthday in August 2011..

Professor S. Jay Olshansky who is a sociologist from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s school of Public Health as well as well-known research from the University of Chicago’s Center of Aging found these publications interesting. Olshansky is currently researching limits of human longevity, in line with policy as well as health consequences.

So Olshansky reviewed the information provided by Roizen and provided a new evaluation of how fast presidents really age in America.

In order to establish an accurate set of date, he found the age of the presidents on the day of inauguration to the office. Then evaluate the aging schedule up to the cause of death. Of course, presidents who were killed were not taking into consideration in the study. On the basis of the age at inauguration to the office, the ‘life tables provided from the Social Security Administration’ was used to estimate the remaining life expectancy of presidents. Example for president, who served the office in the period 1700 as well as 1800s, the French Human Mortality Database was used as no particular records were available for U.S at that time. However, he altered the life expectancy figures for presidents by removing two days of the potential remaining lifespan of the presidents as per every one day spent in the White House.

There were 34 presidents who actually deceased from natural causes. Out of the 34, 23 of the presidents lived longer than the altered life expectancy (alteration accounting for accelerated aging). The average age at death was 67 years base on calculation while, in reality, the average lifespan was 78 years. Yet 11 presidents died earlier than the average life-expectancy of 67.8 years they died at the age of 62.1 years.

The whole study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Associate

Olshansky noted that 60 percent of the U.S presidents lived longer than was expected. In addition, most of the presidents alive today had already or were likely to live beyond the predicted lifespan.

According to Olshansky, there are two particular reasons, which can explain why U.S presidents live longer than their estimated longevity:

1. To become president, all the men in the study had already lived the most dangerous years of life.

2. All except 10 presidents have other factors contributing longevity such as wealth, college education and access to quality medical care.

As a conclusion, Orshansky said that the greying of hair and the appearance of wrinkles on the skin of Presidents is simply something that comes with aging. This study suggests that presidents do only appear to age faster as they do not necessary experience a shorter life.

Source: La Times

Anti Aging, Gerontology, Lifestyle

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2011. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Anti Aging, Gerontology, Lifestyle.

Our immune system has been evolving for millions of years. We started walking barefoot having immediate contact to the earth. However, in contemporary society, there are no one who walk barefoot. People use shoes and that separate us from the earth’s energy.

The concept known as ‘earthing’ is one of the safest anti-aging cures. It doesn’t use any sort of technology. The concept is about having the human body to touch the surface of the earth. In such a way that electrons are transmitted from the earth to the body.

The ground can absorb and eliminates electrical charges, as it is a conductive object. In other words, unwanted or excess electrical charges can be drained to the earth.

A recent study, which started some 10 years ago, shows that it is important to earth the human body. It plays a fundamental role in improving functioning, reducing inflammation and prevents bad physiological processes. Earthing produces a positive change in the state of electrical currents inducing a self-regulating and self-healing taxonomy.

What is known?

1. Earthing permit electrons to be transferred to the body
2. Inflammation are produced from free Radicals
3. Electrons can neutralize free radicals (irrespective of the source of the electrons)
4. Electrons constitute antioxidants power to neutralize.

Electron deficiency can cause pain, inflammation and sickness. Studies show that earth’s ground might be one of the best natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidants available.

Earthing?

Earthing is a simple process of simply walking barefoot or even working, sleeping or sitting on the ground. In contrary to our typical modern lifestyle which is disconnected from the earth, we are separated from the earth, as we rarely touch the ground. If it is our socks, it is our sandals or shoes.

Those who have incorporated earthing into their daily routine life has reported the following benefits:

1. Improved Blood pressure
2. Less headache – Stress – muscle tension
3. Better sleep
4. More energy
5. Less inflammation (inflammation is the cause of several chronic illnesses)
6. Reduces menstrual and hormonal symptoms
7. Promote better respiratory, immune, digestive and cardiovascular system

Earthing is something very simple and is good for various human physiologies. This is a revolutionary approach that brings us back to our adjustable evolution.

Do earthing whether you are sick or well, you can take a swim in the ocean or simply walk around. It is naturally good for your health. Note that we all benefits, but the result might vary from one individual to another. There are those who benefit immediately, other gradually.

Source: Earthing

Gerontology, Health And Aging, Lifestyle

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2011. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Gerontology, Health And Aging, Lifestyle.

Gerontologists believe that having an ideal weight at the age of 21 can increase one’s possibility of living a longer life.

Accordingly, to a research, heavy weight as a young adult is associated with shorter lifespan. Apparently, each additional pound to the ideal weight at 21 decreases an individual chance of living to the age of 90 years by 4 percent (per pound).

This study was released in 2003, and was the first to demonstrate that being healthy and fit is essential for staying young and living long.

Dr. Maria Corrada was the research leaser for the study at University of California. She said that overweight/obesity is bad for our longevity prospects.

The study had roughly 14,000 participant aged on average 75 years who was followed for 2 decades. Their height, weight and whether they performed exercise were a few questions asked. In addition, the weight that these participants had at their age of 21 was also asked.

After 20 years of having studied the participant 6,700 had already deceased while 3,636 were already 90 years or older.

The researchers said at the American Academy of Neurology’s meeting (In Honolulu) that people who weight the most at the age of 21 were the most likely to die before the age of 90 years.

For an individual to understand the healthiest at 21 years it is fundamental to understand the best Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a figured calculated based on heights divided by weights (Heights in Meters/ (weights in Kg and squared). The BMI of an individual of height 1.82 meters and weight of 70. 5kg would be 21.3.

If an adult’s BMI exceeds 25 than he/she is considered to be overweight, and if it goes as far as 30 than he/she is obese. In Britain, 20 percent of the population is obese. Twenty years ago, the figure was three times less.

People with the highest BMI were likely going to die before the age of 90 years, as compared to those having lower BMIs.

In addition, those who exercised at least 30 minutes per day were 30 percent more likely to reach the age of 90 in comparison to the less active participants.

Dr. Corrada said that regular exercise during adulthood can significantly increase an individual’s potential to live longer.

Even if exercise doesn’t always influence weight it is apparently very effective. In general, exercise is ideal for monitoring weight, and it also influences body mass, thereby increases the individual’s longevity prospect.

The information of the study remained true even when other factors such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure were considered.

On the other hand, nutritional supplements as well as vitamins tended to have a very mild effect on the survival rate at old age.

Life expectancy has been increasing for several hundred years, and gerontologist says that there might not be a limit. In the 1860, the first known person reached the age of 101 years and in 1960, the figure went up to 105, while in the 1990s it reached 108. This figured was significantly surpassed by Jeanne Calment, who died at the age of 122 years.

Source: Daily Mail

Anti Aging, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2011. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Anti Aging, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity.

A newly born Australian baby girl could very well look forward to living up to 100 years even in the present day, owing to the developments in medical expertise; standard of living and health services offered the general public.

Now with the introduction of new therapies of stem cells; the development of new medicines to enable the human body to heal itself is reaching higher levels of applications.

Professor Smith, who is the UNSW Medicine Dean, said that the current circumstances offer a lot of hope that the human race would be able to enjoy an increase in longevity by a few decades. He said that being alive for as long as 150 years may feel scary to some. However, it would be an excellent experience provided you are fit and fine until the last years of your life. According to him, the objective is not merely to squeeze out additional years but to also provide for long and healthy years.

However, the main topic of discussion of Professor Smith’s lecture on 17th October 2011, bearing the title ‘Happy and healthy ageing: paradox or possibility?’ was, the grave challenges that society would have to face due to increased lifespan of humans.

The professor said that people would surely not wish to spend several decades at home doing nothing after retiring from their duties at the age of 65.

Oxford University neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield also predicts that people would start to have more than one career. Some people would begin their second careers at the age of 65 and engage in knowledge oriented activities rather than physical jobs.

However, for people to survive up to an age of 150 years the priority should be to deal with conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. If these aging diseases aren’t addressed than longer life would result as a social and economic disaster, she said.

Harvard University’s ageing expert from Australia, David Sinclair, said that the pace at which the human body age is controlled by a cluster of genes. According to him, the human body’s ability to heal itself is remarkable.

It was shown by Professor Sinclair that red wine contains a plant compound called resveratol, which is capable of adding to the longevity of fungi, worms, flies and mice, by secreting sirtuins – a type of proteins.

GlaxoSmithKline acquired the company co-founded by him in 2008 for a price of 720 Million USD. He said that synthetically generated molecules, which are 1000 times stronger than resveratol, are being clinically tested on humans suffering from age-related ailments such as Diabetes 2, and they are proving to be capable of producing early side-effects. The first and foremost objective of the trials is to deduce medicines to heal the aged sick people and after that, try to postpone the setting in of age-related disorders. He said that although it is a too early stage in the trials, they seem to be witnessing the start of a revolutionary technology that could soon enable humans to touch an advance age of 150 years.

In September 2011, scientists from Britain questioned the authenticity of the connection between increased lifespan in worms and flies, and sirtuins. This was reported in the international journal ‘Nature’.

To this, Professor Sinclair responded by saying that even though ageing is such an area of science which generates a controversy even today, he has confidence in the strong foundation upon which his team’s research stands. – Human lifespan is likely to continue to increase.

Source: SMH

Gerontology, Longevity

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2011. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Gerontology, Longevity.

A study shows that even if there are no changes in the overall hereditary constituency of roundworms. They can pass on the characteristic such as an increased lifespan to their offspring via genes.

While it is uncertain if humans can be influenced in a similar manner, it was observed by the study organiser from Stanford University, Anne Brunet, that human lifespan was later found to be affected by the very genes which influenced that of roundworms. She said that in various instances, this species of worms has been a good example for the human species. Humans have a lifespan which is 2,000 times the length the worm.

Whether the process exhibited by the nematode species ‘Caenorhabditis elegans’ applies to species such as rodents and fish, which follow an evolution pattern similar to humans, is currently being examined by Anne’s team. This kind of phenomenon, where offspring inherits only the changes in the usage of the DNA rather than changes in the DNA, itself, is known as ‘Epigenetic Inheritance’. Along with the development of animals, minute marks, the likes of Post-its, highlight their genes and protein constituents, instructing which DNA strands to be replicated without any modifications in the basic structure. With the birth of their offspring, the marks are supposed to change, but some remain constant.

According to Anne Brunet who is from Stanford University, and the lead author of the study says that the concept of epigenetic inheritance plays a significant part in intricate characteristics such as extended lifespan, and also ailments such as Cancer, Diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. She says that these conditions are influenced by our genes and also the way we care for ourselves, but the traits and actions of our forefathers are also something which we need to consider.

Processes such as reprogramming cells into stem cells or cloning are highly dependent on retaining and/or eliminating certain of these epigenetic marks could be improvised with the aid of genetic studies. In due course, these marks can even be altered by experts in order to increase lifespan or bring down the possibility of diseases that are hereditary.

The international journal ‘Nature’ published this newest discovery on 19th October 2011. It all started with Brunet’s student Eric Greer and his experiment with nematodes exhibiting changes in the genomic sequence; in one out of three genes; SET-2, WDR-5 and ASH-2. This set of genes dictates the packaging of our DNA. Apparently, it altered our genes from compact structure into a loosely bound form where the sequence could easily be identified.

A disorder in one out of the three genes can cause several strands of genes to clamp together. This makes it difficult to reach several of the genes available and even those responsible for the process of ageing. The result is astounding – a 20 to 30 percent increase in the life span of the worms was experienced with having one of the genes faulty. .

The breeding of these genetically altered worms was carried out by Greer in such a manner that a part of their next generation carried the same pattern of genes. However, in spite of the DNA being normal, the offspring exhibited a longer lifespan. This pattern was repeated thrice. Recently, epigenetic inheritance has been observed in many instances by experts, such as, color of hair in mice, symmetrical flower patterns and many similar things. Brunet, however, said that they did not expect that it could be possible to inherit an intricate characteristic such as increased lifespan by techniques, which were non-genetic.

University of Adelaide’s Professor Emma Whitelaw praised the beauty of the discovery. She said that epigenetic inheritances spanned across multiple generations have many controversial ideas attached to it, and it is not easy to eliminate genetic disparities that are not detected.

However, in the research conducted by Greer, the discontinuation of longevity trend after three generations suggests that it is unlikely that DNA changes are involved. Whitelaw said that these developments will encourage scientists to explore the idea in a more serious manner.

The concept of epigenetic inheritance is frequently viewed as a revolutionary step in the history of evolution. It appears to take us back to Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, whose opinions were disregarded as incorrect, when he put forth the idea that parental characteristics could be inherited by the offspring.

Brunet said that, owing to the newly found facts that change in genes can be transmitted the next three immediate generations, people finally have understood that genes don’t dictate everything. However, this does not imply that Lamarck’s views were correct; it is now clear that some characteristics are influenced by epigenetic impressions.

Leiden University Medical Center’s Dr. Bas Heijmans emphasized on the fact that modern understanding of evolution is by no way contradicted by epigenetic inheritance. If it improves the success rate of an organism in passing forth its genes, then it will be allowed to evolve by natural selection – Darwinian fitness.

By alerting the forthcoming generation before time, of the issues being faced by the present lot of organisms, epigenetic inheritance could present them with a temporary benefit. For instance, in case of famine, passing the information ahead could prove beneficial, said Brunet.

It is impossible to estimate the implications of this in the long run. The discontinuation of the extended lifespan of the worms bred by Greer after three generations is similar to most of the other instances of epigenetic inheritance. The species are not likely to endure a permanent impact. Brunet said that this phenomenon is not a permanently evolving thing.

Related articles:
1. Stress a Natural Phenomenon, which is passed on to Future Generations through Epigenetic
2. We Can Be In Charge Of Our Genes
3. Epigenomic Changes in DNA methylation and Histone Actylation
4. Programmed Epigenomic Changes

Source: Guardian

Anti Aging, Gerontology, Longevity, Stem cells

© Jimmy Eriksson for Anti Aging and Human Immortality News, 2011. | Permalink | No comment

Add to del.icio.us

Search blogs linking this post with Technorati

Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Anti Aging, Gerontology, Longevity, Stem cells.