What does a tiny earthworm have to do with human lifespan? According to scientists at the University of Colorado's Institute of Behavioral Genetics, the potential ability to extend human life up to 120 years is within their reach, thanks to groundbreaking research into the lifespan of an earthworm.
Scientists were able to predict the lifespan of the worm (Caenorhabditis elegans) by culturing them under identical environments and subjecting them to certain stress. Specifically, the study:
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Used part of a gene in the animal known to be induced under heat stress and paired it with a protein that turns into a fluorescent molecule.
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It then exposed variations in the worms' ability to cope with stress, which was associated with their lifespan.
The data allowed scientists to forecast differences in individual life expectancy in the worms as much as five-fold; the find was comparable to determining the lifespan of a human at the age of 20.
Translating Worm Work to Human Work
Based on the findings, humans may have the ability to live up to 120; however, due to stresses and diseases of day-to-day life, our lifespan is cut short.
Scientists say they hope to one day take a blood, urine or spit sample from a human and, after analyzing it for various biomarkers, predict how long the person is capable of living. They could then tweak the person's stress-response systems to set them for maximal longevity, essentially giving everyone an equal opportunity to reach the estimated maximum human lifespan.
Nature Genetics August 2005; 37(8):894-8
One News July 25, 2005
