StemCell Therapy

18-11-2011 17:40 Fruit fly intestine may hold secret to the fountain of youth Long-lived fruit flies offer Salk scientists clues to slowing human aging and fighting disease November 02, 2011 LA JOLLA, CA—One of the few reliable ways to extend an organism's lifespan, be it a fruit fly or a mouse, is to restrict calorie intake. Now, a new study in fruit flies is helping to explain why such minimal diets are linked to longevity and offering clues to the effects of aging on stem cell behavior. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and their collaborators found that tweaking a gene known as PGC-1, which is also found in human DNA, in the intestinal stem cells of fruit flies delayed the aging of their intestine and extended their lifespan by as much as 50 percent. "Fruit flies and humans have a lot more in common than most people think," says Leanne Jones, an associate professor in Salk's Laboratory of Genetics and a lead scientist on the project. "There is a tremendous amount of similarity between a human small intestine and the fruit fly intestine." Learn more at: salk.edu

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Salk News Clip - Long Lived Fruit Flies (KPBS) - Video

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