Chinese Scientists Found Genes Responsible for Aging

Chinese scientists have found out what genes in structure of DNA are responsible for human body aging. It has been reported by a tvbrics.com correspondent with the reference to China Daily.

To find it out, scientists needed 10 years of researches with nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and mice.

Scientists found two genes in roundworms - set-6 and baz-2, which turn on in old age and slow down cognitive functions. Similar genes were also found in mammals. It turned out that blocking of these genes increases cognitive functions, eliminates symptoms of age diseases and prolongs life in mice. An article about the research is published in the Nature magazine.

The research was conducted by the scientists of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science, the State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, and Institute Pasteur of Shanghai
It became clear thatin the course of aging,the same genes become active in people. Moreover, they are connected with Alzheimer disease. At present, microbiologists, neurologists and geneticists keep on conducting tests to understand whether certain molecular compounds and a way of life can influence functioning of two genes.

According to specialists, the modern aging science faces two tasks: to think up how to increase life expectancy, and to make this prolonged life healthy. It is a well-known fact that even among super-long-livers, there are not so many healthy people. Therefore, many researchers specializing in aging are focused on separate age changes in organism and try to find a way to influence them precisely.

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