Biologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have discovered a gene that slows aging throughout the body by remotely activating it in key organ systems. The life scientists activated a gene called AMPK, which is a key energy sensor in the cell, according to a report on Scienceda.com titled "Biologists Slow Aging by Remote Control."The gene is activated when the cell's energy levels drop. The study found that increasing the amount of AMPK in the fly's gut increased the life span of the flies by about 30 percent, and the flies were also healthier. David Walker, an associate professor of integrative biology and physiology at UCLA and senior author of the study, said the findings would have important implications for delaying aging and disease in humans. Prolonging a healthy human lifespan requires the body's many organ systems to be protected from aging -- but anti-aging treatments for the brain or other key organs are technically difficult, Walker said.
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