Scientists are learning why some families stay healthy for decades longer than others. They are looking at rare genetic changes in these families. These changes might explain why some people live long lives free from chronic diseases and mental decline.
Life expectancy has grown a lot, but not always with better health. Researchers hope to find genetic factors for healthy aging. This could lead to new ways to help more people stay healthy for longer. These findings were shared at the European Society of Human Genetics conference.
Why Studying Families Helps
It's hard to tell if long life comes from genes or lifestyle when studying just one person. Things like income and education also play a role. Some people from families with average lifespans live very long, and some from long-lived families do not.
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Start Your News DetoxResearchers think looking at families where many generations live long lives is better. This helps find genetic factors that are passed down.
Pasquale Putter, a PhD student at Leiden University Medical Center, shared results from an aging study. He noted that middle-aged adults with long-lived parents got heart and metabolic diseases about 13 years later than their partners whose parents lived shorter lives. This shows that longer health spans can be passed down.
Rare Genes Linked to Longer Life
The team looked at the genes of 212 groups of siblings from long-lived families. These families were part of the Leiden Longevity Study.
They focused on four areas of the genome where genes related to long life were likely to be. This narrowed their search to 350 genes instead of about 20,000.
They found 12 rare genetic changes that alter proteins in these areas. These changes could help people live longer, healthier lives.
The CGAS Gene: A Key Discovery
One important finding was about the CGAS (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) gene. Earlier research already linked this gene to aging.
This new gene variant was found in two long-lived families. The CGAS gene helps start the body's immune response when DNA appears where it shouldn't, like during an infection or cell damage.
Mr. Putter explained that members of these families likely had only one active copy of the CGAS gene instead of two. This might have lowered their body's inflammatory response. It was still enough to fight infections and repair damage, helping them stay healthy longer.
He added that this family approach helps separate environmental factors from true genetic ones, especially for rare mutations. The effect of the CGAS mutation in lab tests has been surprisingly strong.
What's Next for the Research
The researchers say these findings are still new. The health effects of CGAS depend a lot on the situation.
Completely blocking the CGAS pathway could make the body more open to infections and cancer. But too much activation can cause ongoing inflammation and tissue damage. More research is needed before any medical uses can be considered.
The team will now test the CGAS mutation in killifish at the Max Planck Institute. Killifish are vertebrates with a short lifespan of three to nine months. This will help them see if the mutation increases lifespan and affects health in living creatures.
They also plan to study other promising gene variants found in the Leiden Longevity Study.
Professor Alexandre Reymond, who was not part of the study, said this work could greatly impact aging research. He noted that these findings help scientists focus on factors linked to long life and, more importantly, on ways to extend everyone's healthy years.
