Machines Like Us

Many of the genes that control the lifespan of roundworms serve the same function in yeast, say researchers. This gives a strong hint that mammals, including humans, may manage longevity in a similar way.

If so, identifying these genes should give scientists new leverage in their quest to slow ageing in people and defer the onset of different age-related diseases.

"We spend huge amounts of money on cancer and heart disease that affect a subset of ageing individuals," says Brian Kennedy, an ageing researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, US. "Targeting ageing directly is an unexplored approach to potential therapies for a whole bunch of these diseases."

Read full story at NewScientist.