UCLA biologists have identified a gene that can slow the aging process throughout the entire body when activated remotely in key organ systems.
Working with fruit flies, the life scientists activated a gene called AMPK that is a key energy sensor in cells; it gets activated when cellular energy levels are low.
Increasing the amount of AMPK in fruit flies’ intestines increased their lifespans by about 30 percent — to roughly eight weeks from the typical six — and the flies stayed healthier longer as well.
The research, published Sept. 4 ( http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/pdf/S2211-1247(14)00669-X.pdf ) [PDF] in the open-source journal Cell Reports, could have important implications for delaying aging and disease in humans, said David Walker, an associate professor of integrative biology and physiology at UCLA and senior author of the research.
(AMPK stands for AMP-activated protein kinase and AMP refers to adenosine monophosphate which is a nucleotide found in RNA. The term ‘remote control’ is a reference to the discovery that increasing the amount of AMPK in a fruit fly's intestines affected the aging process in the fruit fly's brain.)
(Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Wednesday September 10 2014, @09:51AM
And what does RNA stand for!!?
(Score: 4, Funny) by wonkey_monkey on Wednesday September 10 2014, @10:20AM
Rivenaleem Needs Answers!
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 10 2014, @12:37PM
Stallman came up with - RNA's Not Adenosine
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday September 10 2014, @12:29PM
It should mean ribonucleic acid [wikipedia.org] but there could be other meanings [wikipedia.org] too. But it's probably the first answer in this case.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Wednesday September 10 2014, @01:21PM
Probably? None of the others has anything to do with genetics. The OP should turn in his nerd card.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Wednesday September 10 2014, @12:47PM
You should pay more attention in your biology classes. Amazing that someone here had to ask.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Wednesday September 10 2014, @02:58PM
I was kind of hoping that the double exclamation marks would be a hint to the joking nature of the question given how the first TLA had a TLA which led to another TLA.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by MrGuy on Wednesday September 10 2014, @12:29PM
I think it's interesting that the primary mechanism here (as I read the rather dense biology in TFA) is promoting autophagy [wikipedia.org] in brain, intestinal, and muscle cells.
Autophagy is cell death - the process by which individual cells (especially older or damaged cells) die and destroy themselves (and allow the cell's materials to be recycled into new cells). It's also one way the body can protect itself against disease - cells taken over by pathogens can destroy themselves (thus killing the pathogen/preventing it from reproducing).
I think it's strangely beautiful that this is a mechanism for extending life of the organism by encouraging its constituent cells to die.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday September 10 2014, @12:35PM
Doesn't this mean you actually loose useful cells? sounds counterintuitive to improving life..
(Score: 2) by SlimmPickens on Wednesday September 10 2014, @01:00PM
I'm no biologist, but my understanding is that dying cells are pretty toxic to those around them, they get to a point where the best thing is to finish them off.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Wednesday September 10 2014, @01:26PM
Doesn't this mean you actually loose useful cells?
Your blood cells don't need loosing, they're already free. ESL, typoo, or poor education? What you said isn't what you thought you said.
And no, it isn't counterintuitive. They only self-destruct if they're damaged.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by MrGuy on Wednesday September 10 2014, @02:38PM
Autophagy happens all the time. It's the way the body renews itself by removing older, more-broken-down cells.
As I understand it (IANAB), one of the mechanisms in aging is believed to be a reduction in autophagy, meaning damaged cells stick around instead of being recycled.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday September 10 2014, @10:25PM
Sounds like an opportunity for cancer..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 10 2014, @04:42PM
Apoptosis is cell death. Autophagy is more of an internal recycling process, degrading relatively large structures within the cell and returning the constituent nutrients.
In the oxidative theory of aging, proteins accumulate irreversible oxidative damage over time, eventually disrupting cellular function and resulting in cell death. The article's secondary hypothesis is that relatively high turnover of proteins reduces the accumulation of "bad" proteins by continually replacing them with newly synthesized, "good" versions of the same thing.
Interesting observation is that AMPK, which is already known to promote autophagy, in the brain increases autophagy in intestines and muscles; and that AMPK in the intestines increases autophagy in the brain and muscles. This means it's clearly not the AMPK that's important, but something else that results from the AMPK, and that other thing can act in remote tissues. If it were just the neurons, then I'd say that healthy neurons increase activity/regulation of other tissues. I haven't a good idea why AMPK in the gut should alter neuronal function, unless there's something in there about nutrient absorption
(Score: 1) by GoodBookOfTaunts on Wednesday September 10 2014, @05:25PM
Would mod the reply above up if I could. They more clearly define the terms and their context with respect to the article.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday September 10 2014, @12:41PM
So how do we get this AMPK into our cells?
And which of these is it?
* AMP-activated protein kinase
* (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) kinase
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Wednesday September 10 2014, @06:52PM
Unless you're already desperate, I think you should wait a bit. This sounds like it might also destroy memories.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.