• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Scientists discovered a way to potentially slow or even halt the ageing process

Home> News> Health

Published 15:54 16 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Scientists discovered a way to potentially slow or even halt the ageing process

The secret to immortality may already lie in our DNA

Ella Scott

Ella Scott

Featured Image Credit: Compassionate Eye Foundation/Three Images/Tetra Images/Getty Images

Topics: Animals, Health, Science

Ella Scott
Ella Scott

Advert

Advert

Advert

By studying worms, experts have uncovered hidden elements that could help slow down the human ageing process.

Age expectancy differs dramatically between males to females in the US.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women are likely to live until they’re 80.2 while men have a lower expectancy of 74.8.

Advert

However, scientists in Budapest believe they’ve hacked the system and may have found a way to put a stopper in the ageing process.

A research team, led by Dr Ádám Sturm and Dr Tibor Vellai, from Eötvös Loránd University, have uncovered specific elements in our DNA which are reportedly able to destabilize the genetic codes that age us.

It’s said that various experiments were conducted on worms and that the group specifically looked at parts of our DNA known as transposable elements (TEs).

Advert

These TEs - more commonly referred to as the ‘jumping gene’ - can move around in our genetic code.

If there’s too much movement, then our genetic code can become unstable and cell function can be disrupted - thus, leading to ageing.

Interestingly though, research has found there are some cells that do not age, including cancer stem cells.

Dr Sturm and Dr Vellai have previously released an article titled: 'The mechanism of aging: primary role of transposable elements in genome disintegration' and 'The Piwi-piRNA pathway: road to immortality'.

Advert

Researchers have been studying anti-ageing through DNA insights. (Getty Stock Image)
Researchers have been studying anti-ageing through DNA insights. (Getty Stock Image)

In the paper, they discussed the process at work in cancer stem cells, known as the ‘Piwi-piRNA pathway’ and have been theorizing about the relationship between the Piwi-piRNA system and the concept of 'immortality'.

Now though, it appears they’ve taken their research to the next level.

In the study, the team sought to strengthen the Piwi-piRNA pathway in a worm called Caenorhabditis elegans.

Advert

They did this by using techniques to 'downregulate' the activity of the TEs and results showed that the worms were ageing slower.

Moreover, when the researchers controlled multiple TEs simultaneously, the effects multiplied to increase the worm’s lifespan by up to 30 percent.

Therefore new results, published in Nature Communications, show that controlling certain TEs can change the way genes work in the DNA and slow down ageing.

Scientists have strengthened the Piwi-piRNA pathway in a worm. (Getty Stock Image)
Scientists have strengthened the Piwi-piRNA pathway in a worm. (Getty Stock Image)

Advert

Commenting on the findings, Dr Sturm said: "In our lifespan [experiments], by merely downregulating TEs or somatically overexpressing the Piwi-piRNA pathway elements, we observed a statistically significant lifespan advantage.

"This opens the door to a myriad of potential applications in the world of medicine and biology."

The scientists added that this study could work to inform ways to extend life and improve the health of humans in their later years.

On this subject, Dr Vellai said: "This epigenetic modification may pave the way for a method to determine age from DNA, providing an accurate biological clock.”

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
7 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    Hulk Hogan’s daughter Brooke reveals shocking reason she didn’t attend dad’s tributes

    Brooke Oleksy shut down previous reports that she and her late father were on bad terms

    Celebrity
  • 6 hours ago

    Expert reveals the 3 common names you should never give your baby for surprising reason

    All three are strong names that are popular today, but there's a reason why this expert doesn't think you should name your child them

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    James Gunn responds to Trisha Paytas naming baby ‘Aquaman’ following bizarre Ozzy Osbourne conspiracy

    DC Studios' co-CEO has reacted to the internet celeb having named her baby Aquaman - something she revealed on the day Ozzy Osbourne died

    Celebrity
  • 9 hours ago

    Fans spot Kelly Osbourne's 'subtle' tribute to dad Ozzy as she pays her respects during his procession

    The Osbourne family and the rest of the world are grieving the loss of a rock legend

    Celebrity
  • 103-year-old WWII veteran reveals his secret to longevity
  • Scientists say everyone should follow '21 second rule' when peeing to stay healthy
  • Scientists believe mysterious objects found in the Milky Way could be alien megastructures
  • Scientists accidentally discovered a new organ in the human body