Sleep, exercise, social life, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are some of the main tips on how to try to live as long as possible.
However, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have added further insight into the subject, revealing the role of a protein known as Oser1, which appears to have a major impact on lifespan and could pave the way for new treatments. It is not the first time that a link between a protein and a better predisposition to live longer and healthier lives has been identified.
A previous study coordinated by Annibale Puca of the MultiMedica Group of Milan and Paolo Madeddu of the University of Bristol had identified the role of the protein BPIFB4, in its Lav variant in 100-year-olds.
Now, thanks to work published in the journal Nature Communications, the Danish team has identified a new factor for longevity, a protein that exists in animals as diverse as fruit flies, silkworms and humans, according to Lene Juel Rasmussen, author of the new study. The researchers discovered Oser1 by studying a larger group of proteins regulated by the master transcription factor Foxo, known as the longevity regulatory center.
“We found 10 genes that, when we manipulated their expression, changed lifespan,” says Zhiquan Li, lead author of the new study. “After studying it in animal models, researchers have now focused on the role of the gene in humans, but so far very little has been published about this,” they point out. The aim is that the identification will provide new drug targets for age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
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