Tag: C. elegans

In a new review paper published in GeroScience, the researchers explored the translatability of anti-aging interventions across species and received somewhat alarming results [1]. Necessary, but not the best Model organisms have been widely and successfully used to understand the molecular processes driving disease pathologies, identify drug candidates, and test therapeutic interventions. Modern drug development...

In a new study published in GeroScience, researchers have shown that it is possible to significantly increase yeast lifespan by overexpressing genes highly conserved across various species [1]. Survival and aging The question of the effects of nature versus nurture, or programmed versus stochastic, sparks hot scientific debate in other fields as well as aging....

A study published in Redox Biology has reported that the upregulation of thioredoxin, a fundamental part of mitochondrial defense against reactive oxygen species, is associated with longevity in mutant C. elegans worms. Free radicals, revisited Why we Age: Mitochondrial DysfunctionAs they age, the mitochondria in our cells lose their ability to provide cellular energy and...

Scientists have shown that an active ingredient of cannabis significantly upregulates autophagy, extending both lifespan and healthspan in C. elegans nematode worms. Two of the most well-known components of marijuana are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). They have the same atomic composition, but differ in structure and in some of their qualities. THC is what...

Dr. Steven Austad of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is not a typical geroscientist, or at least, he did not become one in a typical way. After obtaining his undergraduate degree in English literature, Steven spent several years on jobs such as a wild animal trainer for Hollywood before deciding to study biology, and his...

Scientists have managed to extend the lifespan of C. elegans nematode worms by as much as 135% by blocking an insulin-related pathway very late in life [1]. The long-lived mutants Back in the late 80s and early 90s, experiments with C. elegans, tiny nematode worms, became one of geroscience's first major successes. Scientists showed that...