Medical

Hydra's immortality gene sheds light on human aging

Hydra's immortality gene sheds light on human aging
Dorian Gray move aside, scientists have discovered that the immortal hydra polyp might help produce advanced rejuvenation therapies for humans (Photo: CAU/Fraune)
Dorian Gray move aside, scientists have discovered that the immortal hydra polyp might help produce advanced rejuvenation therapies for humans (Photo: CAU/Fraune)
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Dorian Gray move aside, scientists have discovered that the immortal hydra polyp might help produce advanced rejuvenation therapies for humans The tiny freshwater polyp hydra does not show any signs of aging (Photo: CAU/Fraune)
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Dorian Gray move aside, scientists have discovered that the immortal hydra polyp might help produce advanced rejuvenation therapies for humans The tiny freshwater polyp hydra does not show any signs of aging (Photo: CAU/Fraune)
Professor Thomas Bosch, head of the Hydra-Study and his team: Anna Marei Böhm, Jörg Wittlieb and Dr. Konstantin Khalturin (Photo: CAU/Winters)
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Professor Thomas Bosch, head of the Hydra-Study and his team: Anna Marei Böhm, Jörg Wittlieb and Dr. Konstantin Khalturin (Photo: CAU/Winters)
A gene sequence is injected into an embryo of Hydra (Photo: CAU/Wittlieb)
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A gene sequence is injected into an embryo of Hydra (Photo: CAU/Wittlieb)
Genetically modified polyps of Hydra appear to be green when looked at under a fluorescence light mocroscope (Photo: CAU/Maack)
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Genetically modified polyps of Hydra appear to be green when looked at under a fluorescence light mocroscope (Photo: CAU/Maack)
Dorian Gray move aside, scientists have discovered that the immortal hydra polyp might help produce advanced rejuvenation therapies for humans (Photo: CAU/Fraune)
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Dorian Gray move aside, scientists have discovered that the immortal hydra polyp might help produce advanced rejuvenation therapies for humans (Photo: CAU/Fraune)
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The tiny freshwater polyp Hydra is a remarkable creature. It does not show any signs of aging and appears to be immortal. Researchers from Kiel University have examined this phenomenon and uncovered an important link to the aging process in humans that could lead to the development of advanced rejuvenation therapies.

How does the polyp Hydra do this? It accomplishes the feat of apparent immortality by reproducing through budding rather than mating. Each polyp contains stem cells capable of continuous proliferation. Without this endless supply of regenerating stem cells, the animals could not reproduce.

Geneticists at Kiel University, together with the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, discovered that the same longevity gene that makes the hydra immortal may also explain why humans get older, and more infirm.

"Surprisingly, our search for the gene that causes Hydra to be immortal led us to the so-called FoxO gene," says Anna-Marei Böhm, PhD student and first author of the study.

All animals and humans have a FoxO gene. Until now, no one has been able to work out if FoxO plays a role in aging and why human stem cells become fewer and inactive with increasing age. The growing inactivity of stem cells as we age is critical. Because our stem cells lose the ability to proliferate and form new cells, aging tissue cannot regenerate any more. As a result, our muscles decline.

The Kiel researchers examined FoxO in several genetically modified polyps: Hydra with normal FoxO, with inactive FoxO and with enhanced FoxO. The scientists found that animals without FoxO possess significantly fewer stem cells.

“Our research group demonstrated for the first time that there is a direct link between the FoxO gene and aging“, says Thomas Bosch from the Zoological Institute of Kiel University, who led the Hydra study. “FoxO has been found to be particularly active in centenarians – people older than one hundred years – which is why we believe that FoxO plays a key role in aging – not only in Hydra but also in humans.”

The study has produced two conclusions. First, the FoxO gene plays a key role in the maintenance of stem cells and thus determines the life span of all animals. Secondly, the aging and longevity of organisms depends on two factors: the maintenance of stem cells and the maintenance of a functioning immune system.

The hypothesis can’t be verified yet on human beings as that would require genetic manipulation. Nonetheless, the research is a big step forward and more studies on the Hydra and the FoxO gene are planned which could lay the foundations for the development of advanced rejuvenation therapy for humans in the future.

Source: Kiel University

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8 comments
8 comments
davem2
LOL the author says Hydra may be immortal! There's still an infinite number of ways to die even it you eliminate old age.
Norman Welch
Let's make this a priority, like the newest I-phone. Everything is always "In the future", but never materializes.
Doug Nutter
This should get interesting considering what the criteria will be for determining who qualifies for life extending technology. Will this help provide a better quality of life and extend the working age? Or will it be a boon for nursing homes?
rutnerh
Immune function has also been associated with longevity and immunosenescence in humans in comparing several blood markers in healthy vs decrepit nonagenarians. Lifelong accumulation of large amounts of immune complexes to common viruses like CMV, EBV, HSV1, etc were found to overburden immune responses to new antigen challenges and increase morbity.
Gavin Roe
could this assist those with premature aging
Matt Fletcher
What rutnerh states regarding immune responses to viruses leading to increased morbity is one of several key factors people should consider when choosing to get vacination shots. It's not all just positives, there are actual negative effects that most people are unaware of as possible side affects. Although there is no absoluteevidence, you may find that by trying to avoid getting deathly ill today (by vacinating yourself) you might find that same vacination may cause genetic damage that shortens your overall lifespan. And vice versa you may find things that extend your life may potentially weaken your quality of life. A low cal starvation diet most likely lengthens your life but what kind of life is it if you're starving.
mookins
'Require genetic manipulation'? Well, I hereby volunteer for that, and if I were rich I'd purchase it.
habakak
And no doubt they'll find something that controls FoxO, and something that controls that, and so on down the chain. Making it endlessly complex to find the ultimate mechanism (and ultimately it won't be that simple, it will be a multitude of mechanisms) and activating each of those will have a multitude of repercussions.
It's like asking where everything comes from. There is always something else before that. Or going back in time, it's an endless loop.
This for sure will not be the key to reversing aging or increasing longevity. It's never that simple.