Hypoxic response can result in longer life

SEATTLE, April 16 (UPI) -- U.S. pathologists say they've found a biochemical pathway that protects cells in low oxygen can also create a longer life with fewer degenerative diseases.

University of Washington Assistant Professor Matt Kaeberlein and colleagues found nematode worms live longer if their genetic makeup permits their cells to turn on a protective reaction to a drop in oxygen -- a reaction called the hypoxic response -- even under normal oxygen conditions. Not only do the worms live longer, the researchers noted, but their cells are relatively free from toxic proteins that accumulate and clump together as animals age.

"The research findings suggest the hypoxic response promotes longevity and reduces the accumulation of toxic proteins by a mechanism that is distinct from both dietary restriction and insulin-like signaling. It appears to be an alternative pathway," Kaeberlein said. "However, we don't know if future studies might reveal that all of these different genetic pathways converge somewhere down the line into a common mechanism for delaying the effects of age."

He said the findings might lead to new therapeutic targets for such diseases as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and other degenerative conditions.

The research that included Ranjana Mehta, Katy Steinkraus, George Sutphin, Fresnida Ramos, Lara Shmieh, Alexander Huh, Christina Davis, and Devon Chandler-Brown appears in the journal Science.