Key points from article :
Life expectancy was increased by 30% in male and female mice engineered to have high levels of a protein called SIRT6.
Mice were able to overcome age-related diseases, and remained vigorous as they aged rather than becoming frail.
Used biochemical methods and metabolic analyses to uncover the mechanism through which SIRT6 acts as a type of fountain of youth.
Mice with extra SIRT6 broke down fats and lactic acid to create sugar utilized for energy in their muscles and brain.
“This discovery, combined with our previous findings, shows that SIRT6 controls the rate of healthy aging,” - Haim Cohen, lead study author.
“If we can determine how to activate it in humans, we will be able to prolong life,” - Cohen.
Research by Bar-Ilan University published in Nature Communications.
