Scientists identify first genetic variant linked to biological aging in humans

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http://www.physorg.com/news184769662.html

February 7, 2010

Scientists announced

today they have identified for the first time definitive variants associated

with biological ageing in humans. The team analyzed more than 500,000 genetic

variations across the entire human genome to identify the variants which are

located near a gene called TERC.

The study in Nature

Genetics published today by researchers from the University of Leicester

and King's College London, working with University of Groningen in the

Netherlands, was funded by The Wellcome Trust and the British Heart

Foundation.

British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiology at the

University of Leicester Professor Nilesh Samani, of the Department of

Cardiovascular Sciences, who co-led the project explained that there are two

forms of ageing - chronological ageing i.e. how old you are in years and

biological ageing whereby the cells of some individuals are older (or younger)

than suggested by their actual age.

He said: " There is accumulating evidence that the risk of

age-associated diseases including heart disease and some types of cancers are

more closely related to biological rather than chronological age.

" What we studied are structures called telomeres which are

parts of one's chromosomes. Individuals are born with telomeres of certain

length

and in many cells telomeres shorten as the cells divide and age. Telomere length

is therefore considered a marker of biological ageing.

" In this study what we found was that those individuals

carrying a particular genetic variant had shorter telomeres i.e. looked

biologically older. Given the association of shorter telomeres with

age-associated diseases, the finding raises the question whether individuals

carrying the variant are at greater risk of developing such diseases "

Professor Tim Spector from King's College London and director

of the TwinsUK study, who co-led this project, added:

" The variants identified lies near a gene called TERC which

is already known to play an important role in maintaining telomere length. What

our study suggests is that some people are genetically programmed to age at a

faster rate. The effect was quite considerable in those with the variant,

equivalent to between 3-4 years of 'biological aging " as measured by telomere

length loss. Alternatively genetically susceptible people may age even faster

when exposed to proven 'bad' environments for telomeres like smoking, obesity or

lack of exercise - and end up several years biologically older or succumbing to

more age-related diseases. "

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