THE quest to understand ageing has has been given a boost with the discovery that a gene that extends lifespan in yeast and worms may have the same effect in humans.
The gene, sirtuin 3, encodes a protein found in mitochondria, the energy factories of the cell. This fits in with the theory that ageing is at least partly due to accumulated damage from the highly reactive free radicals produced in mitochondria.
Up to a quarter of the variation in human lifespan is thought to be due to heredity, and several genes have been linked to longevity in animals. The…
