Longevity May Depend on Stem Cells

Mouse strains that live the longest have stem cells in their bone marrow that are especially good at repairing DNA, according to the findings of researchers at the University of Kentucky (Lexington, USA). This means it might be possible to extend life by altering or replacing our stem cells to make them better at withstanding DNA damage.

Stem cells are the source of new cells for many tissues in the body. The new finding supports the theory that we age because our stem cells can no longer cope with the degree of cell turnover needed to keep our organs young. The researchers bred various strains of mice to find regions in the mouse genome associated with DNA repair. In what they called a striking overlap, they found that several of those regions had previously been linked to longevity. Now, they think they have found a gene in one of those regions, located on chromosome 11, that could explain the overlap.

"We have good evidence that this locus may have a gene involved in DNA repair,” said Hartmut Geiger, a member of the research team. The team believes that the same correlation between longevity and stem cell hardiness will be found in all mammals.






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