A study published in Nature Communications from the University of Copenhagen showed that increasing the activation of a gene called OSER1, and simultaneously increasing the protein it produces significantly extends the longevity in flies, silkworms, and nematode worms. This is exciting news because humans also carry the OSER1 gene, an analysis associated certain mutations in this gene with human longevity, and the findings may open a path to discovering a potential target for gene therapy to extend lifespan.
”We identified this protein that can extend longevity (long duration of life, red.). It is a novel pro-longevity factor, and it is a protein that exists in various animals, such as fruit flies, nematodes, silkworms, and in humans,” says Professor Lene Juel Rasmussen, senior author behind the new study.
”We identified a protein commonly present in different animal models and humans. We screened the proteins and linked the data from the animals to the human cohort also used in the study. This allows us to understand whether it is translatable into humans or not,” says Zhiquan Li, who is a first author behind the new study and adds:
“If the gene only exists in animal models, it can be hard to translate to human health, which is why we, in the beginning, screened the potential longevity proteins that exist in many organisms, including humans. Because at the end of the day we are interested in identifying human longevity genes for possible interventions and drug discoveries.”
Paving the path for new longevity treatments
OSERI was discovered when studying a larger group of proteins that are regulated by the major transcription factor FOXO which is known as a longevity regulatory hub.
“We found 10 genes that, when – we manipulated their expression – longevity changed. We decided to focus on one of these genes that affected longevity most, called the OSER1 gene,” says Zhiquan Li.
Genes associated with a shorter lifespan increase the risk for premature aging and the assocaited diseases. Knowledge of how OSER1 functions is vital to the overall knowledge of human aging and overall human health.
“We are currently focused on uncovering the role of OSER1 in humans, but the lack of existing literature presents a challenge, as very little has been published on this topic to date. This study is the first to demonstrate that OSER1 is a significant regulator of aging and longevity. In the future, we hope to provide insights into the specific age-related diseases and aging processes that OSER1 influences,” says Zhiquan Li.
The identification and characterization of OSER1 is hoped to provide new targets for age-related diseases, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases in the future.
“Thus, the discovery of this new pro-longevity factor allows us to understand longevity in humans better,” says Zhiquan Li.
In the meantime, we can adopt some simple lifestyle changes that can promote longevity such as getting enough sleep, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, following a balance diet, connecting with nature, and having a positive mindset.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39164296
https://healthsciences.ku.dk/newsfaculty-news/2024/08/newly-discovered-gene-may-influence-longevity
