Anti age genes available in worms and yeast

London, Mar 13 (UNI) Various medicines, herbs and technologies have been invented to pamper humans' fascination to ward off old age.

Scientists have now discovered more than a dozen genes that play a crucial role in the ageing process raising hopes of treatments to delay old age.

By piecing together how different genes contribute to ageing, researchers expect to find ways to slow the process and treat diseases associated with growing old. The scientists aim to develop pills that block the effects of age-related genes to extend the natural human life span.

Lead researcher Brian Kennedy along with his team looked for genes that control the ageing process in two primitive organisms, yeast cells and nematode worms.

Nematodes and humans were similar to each other on an evolutionary scale than nematodes and yeast, author Erica Smith said., adding if a particular gene modulated ageing in both yeast and nematodes, there was a good chance that gene played a similar role in people.

Closer inspection revealed that many of the genes were linked to chemical signals triggered by food. Previous studies have shown clearly that drastically reducing the number of calories in an organism's diet can prolong its life span, though often at the expense of fertility. If scientists can find out how age-related genes are affected by an extremely low-calorie diet, they may be able to repeat the effect without resorting to such measures.

Researchers believe that the result can be accomplished with a pill. Kennedy said they also hoped to lengthen the health span before people suffer age-related illnesses.

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