A large-scale international study led by the University of Exeter Medical School has discovered new genes linked to parents\u2019 lifespan \u2013 which could one day be targeted to help prolong human life.
How long we live is determined by a range of factors including our lifestyle and how well we treat factors including blood pressure and cholesterol from midlife. However, genetics, and how long our parental relatives lived, also plays a role.
Now, the number of genes we know influence lifespan has expanded, potentially paving the way to new therapeutic targets to prolong life.
The study, funded by the Medical Research Council and conducted in collaboration with a number of US universities, undertook a genome-wide search for variants influencing how long participants\u2019 parents lived. The team studied 389,166 volunteers who took part in the UK Biobank, with confirmation in the US Health and Retirement Study and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The DNA samples from the volunteers carry the genetics of their biological parents, so provide a practical way of studying exceptionally long lifespans.
Eight genetic variants had already been linked for lifespan, mainly involved in heart disease and dementia. The latest study has expanded this to 25 genes in all, with some specific to mothers\u2019 or fathers\u2019 lifespan separately.
Dr Luke Pilling, who undertook most of analyses said: \u201cWe have identified new pathways that contribute to survival, as well as confirming others. These targets, including inflammatory and cardiovascular pathways, offer potentially modifiable targets to reduce risk of an earlier death and improve health.\u201d
Genes involved in senescence, the \u2018frozen\u2019 state that cells enter into after being damaged, played an important role in longevity. Drugs targeting senescence have already been shown to extend life in laboratory animals.
Genes related to inflammation and auto-immunity-related genes were also prominent, opening up the possibility that precision anti-inflammatory treatments may one day be helpful in extending life.
The results confirm that many genetic variants combine to influence human lifespan: no single gene variant was found to be responsible.
The study found evidence to suggest that the genetic variants for average lifespan also influence exceptionally long life expectancy. A genetic risk score combining the top ten variants was statistically associated with parents being centenarians.
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