Another Significant Mouse Longevity Mutation
Via EurekAlert! which also provides a link to the open access PDF of the paper: "mice lacking the protein AT1A live substantially longer than normal mice. As drugs that antagonize AT1A are currently used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, the authors suggest that future studies should investigate whether such drugs prolong life in humans. Further analysis revealed that the increased lifespan in mice lacking AT1A was likely a result of decreased oxidative damage to cells, a key factor in ageing, and increased levels of genes involved in cell survival (such as Sirt3). ... At 29 months, when all wild-type animals died, 17 AT1A-deficient mice (85%) were still alive. These remaining mice lived for an additional 7 months. ... The life span of the AT1A-deficient mice was approximately 26% longer than controls." It's nice to see that the researchers carefully controlled for calorie intake - this isn't an accidental form of calorie restriction.
Link: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/joci-ala020409.php