To date, there are 74 supercentenarians alive worldwide, and 22 live in the United States. Supercentenaians are aged 110 and older. In an attempt to uncover the genetic secrets behind such a long life, researchers from the Stanford University, California, have sequenced the complete genome of 17 of them. The study, led by Hinco Gierman, was published in the November 12 issue of the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
US scientists said they’ve found no genetic secrets shared between this small group of 17 supercentenarians. They did not find any rare variation producing proteins that could explain their longevity. They found, in one of these supercentenarians, a genetic mutation linked to a specific heart disease, but which had little or no effect on his health.
The importance of research on aging
Even though no genetic clues emerged in this study, scientists said they would make their analysis available to the public as a resource for future research. Indeed, the hope of finding an answer did not seem to have entirely vanished.
Actually, several private and public laboratories and universities are conducting researches on this source of youth, pointed a survey from the Pew Research Center last year.
According to some researchers, medicine could make such dramatic progresses during the next decades that human life expectancy would grow further what is currently considered as a biological limit. Manufacturers of cosmetic products are also highly interested in such scientific forays in the biology of ageing. They are also keen to adopt up-to-date technologies and knowledge for developing their products, as shown during the latest Congress of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) in Paris.
Declining birth rates combined with sharp increase in life expectancy mean that the American population is aging rapidly. According to the Census Bureau, one in five Americans will be over 65 by 2050 and at least 400,000 will be centenarians. In Japan and Europe, the aging of the population is even more advanced. These changes will have a significant impact on health systems and consumption patterns.
