Machines Like Us

An antidepressant drug lengthens tiny worms' lives and offers hope of humans living longer too, US scientists say. In the study, detailed in journal Nature, nematode worms were exposed to 88,000 chemicals in turn and mianserin extended lifespan by almost a third.

The drug seems to mimic the effects on the body of the only known animal long-life regime -- virtual starvation. For a little-understood reason, depriving the body of all but the minimum amount of calories needed to survive seems to enhance longevity. Experts said the findings might point to there being genes in humans that could be targeted to increase lifespan.

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