8th Feb 10

Researchers discover link between genes and aging

by Harry Oldfield

Dutch and British scientists have found genetic variants which could explain why some people age at a younger age than others, and could have important implications for understanding age-related disease and cancer.

Researchers analysed over 500,000 genetic variations from human gene maps and discovered that people with a particular variant near a gene called TERC were more likely to be biologically older by 3 to 4 years.

Tim Spector, who led the research, said that the study suggested that some people are genetically programmed to age at a faster rate, with a considerable effect in those with the variant.

The study, published in Nature Genetics journal, explained that there were two forms of aging, chronological aging, and biological aging, in which the cells of some people are older, or younger, than their chronological age.

Cardiology professor Nilesh Samani, who worked on the research, said that there was accumulating evidence that the risk of age-associated diseases such as heart disease and some types of cancers were more closely related to biological rather than chronological age.

The researchers studied structures known as telomeres, protective caps on the end of chromosomes whose length is associated with aging.

The shortening of telomeres could lead to premature aging and cancer, a discovery which helped win the 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine for three American scientists who discovered an enzyme, telmorase, which prevents such shortening.

Scientists have already known for a while that the TERC gene which regulates the length of telomeres, plays an important role in aging and cancer, however the importance of this study was to identify particular variants in humans which suggest earlier aging is more likely.

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