DALLAS, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- A hormone that extends the life span of mice, could result in developing drugs that extend longevity in people, say Dallas researchers.
University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researchers, led by Makoto Kuro-o, had earlier identified the aging-suppressor gene Klotho -- named after the Greek goddess who spins the thread of life. They found the gene produces a protein -- a naturally occurring hormone -- that the researchers found circulated in the animals' blood at double the normal level.
Using genetically engineered mice with overactive Klotho genes, Kuro-o found the mice lived an average of 20 percent to 30 percent longer than normal without any signs of ill effects such as hardening of the arteries, thinning bones, withered skin, weak lungs, the Washington Post reported Friday.
The findings are published in Science.
