From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Thu May 15 2003 - 22:31:02 MDT
Researchers discover common cause for aging and age-related disease
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-05/uoc--rdc051303.php
"Why do serious diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Huntington's mainly
hit us in middle age or later? The links between aging and age-related
diseases have proved elusive.
In studies of the powerfully informative roundworm, C. elegans, UCSF
scientists have discovered that a class of molecules found in the worms and
in people can both prolong life in the worm and prevent the harmful
accumulation of abnormal proteins that cause a debilitating
Huntington's-like disease. The finding appears to be the first evidence in
an animal of a link between aging and age-related disease.
The molecules, called "small heat-shock proteins," are known to assemble
into complexes that bind to damaged or unfolded cellular proteins and
prevent them from forming into harmful aggregations. "
etc..
.......
Or the actual 16 May Science article refered from the above...
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/300/5622/1142
Regulation of Aging and Age-Related Disease by DAF-16 and Heat-Shock Factor
Ao-Lin Hsu, Coleen T. Murphy, Cynthia Kenyon*
The Caenorhabditis elegans transcription factor HSF-1, which regulates the
heat-shock response, also influences aging. Reducing hsf-1 activity
accelerates tissue aging and shortens life-span, and we show that hsf-1
overexpression extends lifespan. We find that HSF-1, like the transcription
factor DAF-16, is required for daf-2-insulin/IGF-1 receptor mutations to
extend life-span. Our findings suggest this is because HSF-1 and DAF-16
together activate expression of specific genes, including genes encoding
small heat-shock proteins, which in turn promote longevity. The small
heat-shock proteins also delay the onset of polyglutamine-expansion protein
aggregation, suggesting that these proteins couple the normal aging process
to this type of age-related disease.
---- Brett Paatsch
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