Following the experiment, worms lived 50 percent longer and displayed better health.
highlights that the enzyme has previously been well-studied, which may bring us closer to finding drug solutions sooner.To discover the secrets of anti-aging, the researchers studied something unusual — microscopic worms called. Surprisingly, these soil dwellers and our genes have 70 percent in common, making them excellent candidates. In fact, they were the study model for two Nobel prizes-winning discoveries in medicine.
While studying worms, they identified a mechanism named "Alcohol and aldehyde-dehydrogenase Mediated Anti-aging Response." The team reveals it is shortened to AMAR, which translates to immortality in the Sanskrit language. "We went after a very well-supported hypothesis that the secret to longevity was the activation of a cell-rejuvenating process named autophagy and ended up finding an unrecognized mechanism of health and lifespan extension," said O'Rourke..
To be certain, they tested the AMAR mechanism on another lab model: yeast. This single-celled microorganism shares a common genetic makeup with humans. And came up with similar results. "We hope to attract interest in developing therapeutics that target AMAR," said O'Rourke. She concluded by adding, "With age-related diseases currently being the major health burden for patients, their families, and the healthcare system, targeting the process of aging itself would be the most effective way to reduce this burden and increase the number of years of independent, healthy living for all of us.
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