UCLA biologists have identified a gene that slows the aging process

The article is about UCLA biologists who doubled the life of the fruit fly by activating a gene which ultimately slows the aging process. The gene is called PGC-1. It increases the activity of mitochondria which controls cell growth and tells cells when to live and die. The biologists activated the gene in different cells and tissues of the fly and studied its effect on the aging process. They finally discovered that when the PGC-1 gene was boosted in the fly's digestive tract, the fly lived significantly longer. The gene was activated in the intestine which showed a slow aging of the intestine which had an effect on the whole animal.

David Walker, an assistant professor of integrative biology and physiology at UCLA and a senior author of the study, concluded that the "study shows that increasing PGC-1 gene activity in the intestine can slow aging, both at the cellular level and at the level of the whole animal".

The reasoning behind this is that the intestine is essential for the uptake of nutrients that are a vital source of energy. It is also an important barrier that protects us from toxins and pathogens in the environment. The PGC-1 gene activates the cells' mitochondria and regulates mitochondrial activity in mammals and flies. The gene is of potential use for pharmaceuticals to fight age-related diseases.