By Lauren Wilkin
Scientists have taken an important step toward understanding how we age and how to extend our lifespan.
The research, involving Queen Mary University of London, found that an ancient enzyme called AMPK helps cells when energy levels are low.
During the study, this enzyme extended the lifespan of three very different organisms: fruit flies, nematode worms and fission yeast.
The study, published in Aging Cell, provides new evidence that AMPK may be a potential target for future research into longevity and healthy aging in humans.
Researchers say AMPK acts as a fuel sensor for cells. When energy runs out, it helps cells adapt by increasing energy production and recycling, while reducing growth.
Scientists have suspected for years that this pathway is linked to aging, but directly testing its role with a drug has proven difficult.
In this study, researchers used a compound called 991, which binds to and “activates” AMPK.
The compound allowed the researchers to more directly test whether AMPK activation itself could influence lifespan.
Results showed that 991 extended the lifespan of fruit flies, worms and fission yeast. Importantly, when researchers used worms and yeast without functional AMPK, the lifespan-extending effect was no longer observed.
This proves that the effect was specifically dependent on AMPK activation.
Researchers also found that more is not necessarily better.
Higher doses of 991 shortened lifespan in some experiments – meaning getting the right level of AMPK activation is critical.
The team also studied what happened when 991 was given to mice. While after three weeks of treatment, researchers found signs of AMPK activation, mouse experiments did not demonstrate an extension of lifespan.
However, the changes observed in the mice were processes linked to longevity. The researchers therefore say that longer-term studies will be needed to determine whether direct activation of AMPK can extend the lifespan of mammals and improve their lifespan.
Charalampos Rallis, reader in genetics, genomics and basic cell biology at Queen Mary University of London and co-author of the study, said: “When a cell is low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help it cope.
Fission yeast cells expressing a fluorescent glucose transporter. (O Xintarakou, Rallis laboratory, QMUL via SWNS)
“We’ve known for years that this change is linked to aging. What we didn’t have was a drug clean enough to test the idea properly and with 991, we finally did that.”
But Rallis cautions: “I wouldn’t want anyone to reach for a supplement because of this. Too much of the drug has shortened the lifespan of our experiments. It’s a switch that needs to be set correctly, not turned off.”
The research group brought together scientists from Queen Mary University of London, the MRC Medical Sciences Laboratory, Imperial College London, the University of Cologne, the Francis Crick Institute and Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University.
The group says the findings provide a basis for further research to determine whether directly targeting AMPK could potentially contribute to interventions designed not only to extend lifespan, but also to help people stay healthier longer.
The article Scientists Find a ‘Switch’ to Potentially Unlock Longer Lifespans appeared first on Talker.
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