Caloric restriction linked with aging

SEATTLE, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- University of Washington scientists say they have found a genetic pathway that links nutrient response, or caloric restriction, with the aging process.

It's long been known that reducing food intake boosts the lifespan of model organisms. But the new results point to a possible mechanism through which drastic calorie restriction affects aging.

The UW researchers conducted a genome-wide screen of yeast cells to find which genes, and their corresponding proteins, affect lifespan. Two of the proteins, Tor1 and Sch9, are signaling molecules linked with nutrient uptake in many different organisms. The results suggest the same proteins, or very similar ones, may be related to both nutrient response and the aging process in humans.

"The idea is to identify pathways in yeast that are involved in aging, and take them to higher organisms like mice and eventually people," explained Brian Kennedy, assistant professor of biochemistry and one of the study's authors.

"Caloric restriction is acting at the root level of the aging mechanism," said Kennedy. "If we can understand how that works, then maybe you can alter aging and its effects without reducing caloric intake."

The study appears in the journal Science.