For deacdes, life expectancy has been steadily increasing around the world. It's estimated that by 2050, about one-fifth of the world's population will be older than 65. People have long been searching the Earth for the fountain of youth, and looking for ways to stay healthy, fit, and active well into old age. There are the time-tested methods of having life-long healthy habits such as eating a good diet, getting regular exercise and staying cognitively and socially active. It should also be noted that the benefits of longevity and good healthspan are often extended to people who have better socioeconomic standing; in other words, longevity can be a real privilege for people who can afford and take the time for quality health care, and who are not under constant stress. People are also looking for secrets and easy answers in the search for a longer, healthy life.
Scientists may have now unearthed one of those secrets. Reporting in Nature Communications, researchers have identified a protein called OSER1 that seems to have a significant impact on longevity in various organisms, and may also function that way in humans.
"We identified this protein that can extend longevity. 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," said senior study author Professor Lene Juel Rasmussen, of the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen.
The investigators were looking for proteins that are regulated by another protein called FOXO, which is known to be a transcription factor with wide-ranging effects that influence longevity. This work revealed ten genes that affected longevity when their expression levels were altered. The gene that affected longevity the most out of all ten was OSER1, so the team focused on that gene for this work.
OSER1 is commonly found in various animal models and humans, noted first study author Zhiquan Li. After screening animal proteins, and connecting that data with human studies, the investigators found that it is also present in people. Li noted that the scientists, "are interested in identifying human longevity genes for possible interventions and drug discoveries."
Now the researchers want to learn more about exactly what OSER1 does in human cells; this can tell us how it might impact longevity and 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," said Li.
Now that OSER1 has been identified, a deep understanding of its function and molecular characteristics could open up new treatment options for aging or aging related disease such as metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative or cardiovascular diseases.
"Thus, the discovery of this new pro-longevity factor allows us to understand longevity in humans better," added Li.
