Age may not be rust after all. Specific genetic instructions drive aging in worms, report researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Their discovery contradicts the prevailing theory that aging is a buildup of tissue damage akin to rust, and implies science might eventually halt or even reverse the ravages of age. "We were really surprised," said Stuart Kim, PhD, professor of developmental biology and of genetics, who is the senior author of the research. Kim's lab examined the regulation of aging in C. elegans, a millimeter-long nematode worm whose simple body and small number of genes make it a useful tool for biologists. The worms age rapidly: their maximum life span is about two weeks. Comparing young worms to old worms, Kim's team discovered age-related shifts in levels of three transcription factors, the...
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