Chinese scientists have recently discovered a new gene named OSER1 that regulates lifespan. This breakthrough provides additional scientific evidence for research aimed at extending human longevity.
This discovery was made by a team of scientists from the National Key Laboratory for Breeding and Effective Utilization of Insect Resources at Southwest University in China, in collaboration with international researchers. The results were published in the international academic journal “Nature Communications.”
According to the findings, the team identified the new gene OSER1 that adjusts lifespan and also uncovered the mechanism by which this gene delays aging and extends lifespan in studies involving multiple species, including silkworms.
Mechanism of the OSER1 gene in regulating lifespan. (Illustration: Southwest University).
It is known that FOXO is one of the few genes identified to extend human lifespan. It influences longevity by regulating pathways leading to aging, but the specific targets of these influences remain largely unknown.
The research team conducted intervention experiments on 42 potential target genes of the FOXO gene in silkworms and found that the lifespan of nematodes was significantly shortened when the expression of 7 of these genes was downregulated, while their lifespan was considerably extended when the expression of 3 other genes was reduced. Among these, the OSER1 gene had the most pronounced effect on lifespan. When its expression decreased, the shortening of lifespan was the most significant.
Associate Professor Song Jiangba, a co-author of the research program, stated that the OSER1 gene is present in the genomes of various species such as nematodes, silkworms, fruit flies, zebrafish, mice, and humans.
Further studies also indicated that increased expression of the OSER1 gene in silkworms, nematodes, and fruit flies significantly extended their lifespans.
Additionally, according to Song Jiangba, research results on humans have also confirmed that the OSER1 gene plays a crucial role in determining human lifespan. In subsequent studies conducted in collaboration with international experts, using blood sample sequencing data from 200,000 individuals, scientists discovered that, compared to a younger control group, individuals over 90 years old had 49 common single nucleotide variants in the OSER1 gene, of which 7 variants were clearly associated with longevity.
This discovery is considered significant for understanding the aging process and developing intervention measures to increase lifespan across different species, including humans.
