Have scientists discovered the elixir of youth? Hormone extends lifespan by 40%

Daily Mail ^ | 1/14/16 | Lizzie Parry

[UnwashedPeasant]

A team at Yale School of Medicine have identified a hormone, produced by the thymus glad, extends lifespan by 40 per cent.

Their findings reveal increased levels of the hormone, known as FGF21, protects the immune system against the ravages of age.

Researchers said the study could have implications in the future for improving immune function in the elderly, for obesity, and for diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.

When it is functioning normally, the thymus produces new T cells for the immune system.

But with age, the gland becomes fatty and loses its ability to produce the vital cells.

This loss of new T cells in the body is one cause of increased risk of infections and certain cancers in the elderly.

Researchers led by Vishwa Deep Dixit, professor of comparative medicine and immunobiology at Yale, studied transgenic mice with elevated levels of FGF21.

They blocked the gene's function, before studying the impact of decreasing levels of FGF21 on the immune system.

Their results showed that increasing the level of FGF21 in old mice protected the thymus from age-related fatty degeneration and increased the ability of the thymus to produce new T cells.

Meanwhile, FGF21 deficiency accelerated the degeneration of the thymus in old mice.

Professor Dixit said: 'We found that FGF21 levels in thymic epithelial cells is several fold higher than in the liver, therefore FGF21 acts within the thymus to promote T cell production.

[UCANSEE2]

DITTO.

[UCANSEE2]

Possibly this could spur planetary immigration.

Do you know why we never went back and colonized the moon?

Their immigration laws are really tough.

[Berlin_Freeper]

What would the new 20 be?

[Jack Hammer]

There’s just one catch: you spend all the extra time as an 80-year-old.

[Jeff Chandler]

I read a report a while back of a study on exercise as it relates to longevity. Researchers discovered that people who spent a great deal of time exercising actually experienced a modest gain in their life span. Unfortunately, the time gained was surpassed by the time spent exercising.

[PA Engineer]

If the therapeutic effect comes from defatting the thymus, there might be other ways to do it, such as taking betaine.

FGF21 increases on a calorie restricted diet.

Starvation hormone markedly extends mouse life span

There is a growing body of research that indicates daily fasting (12 hours without eating) and a ketogenic diet raise FGF21 levels independent of caloric intake.

Most studies of FGF21 have been done with mouse knock off models. These generally do not necessarily translate well to human studies, however are useful for understanding FGF21 effects and regulation.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 is a metabolic regulator that plays a role in the adaptation to ketosis

Other mouse model and human studies indicate cyclical calorie restriction of 12 hours a day increase FGF21 signally and improve lipid profiles. Sorry. I lost the links on that one.

[Nailbiter]

If not as many people die, where do you put them all.

THink death panels for all but the politically connected

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks UnwashedPeasant.

[paltz]

The headline looked like an online advert for some bs Acai diet berry product

[Grimmy]

There’s plenty space for US citizen “extenders” in Montana and the Dakotas. Nothing else goin’ on in that AO, so might as well designate it as a resettlement area for the “life extended”.