Yeast life extension may help us live longer
January 21, 2008
Researchers at the University of Southern California have set a new record for life extension by coaxing baker’s yeast to endure 10 weeks rather than one. The breakthrough may aid the fight against cancer and aging in humans.
Gerontologist Valter Longo headed a team that lengthened yeast lifespan by reducing its food intake and disabling two genes, RAS2 and SCH9, which promote cancer in humans. Longo speculates that these changes cause the yeast to shift into a kind of holding pattern until its normal diet is restored.
Why was yeast studied? Previous studies of yeast have shed light on how aging and disease work in mammals.
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LA Times
