AMP-1 And Calorie Restriction
Limiting available energy through calorie restriction has been shown to extend life span (and provide numerous health benefits) in a variety of species. ScienceDaily notes recent research from Elixir Pharmaceuticals: "Using an array of genetic and molecular tricks on nematode worms, the team demonstrated that animals with extra copies of the AMP-1 enzyme lived on average 13% longer lives than controls. Other experiments demonstrated that environmental stressors that activate the AMP-1 enzyme, also lead to longer lived animals. ... The discovery that a sensor of energy levels regulates lifespan is very exciting because it tells us that the worm is actively making a decision in adjusting its lifespan in response to its energy state." The related biochemistry is very similar in humans, so stay tuned.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041203084728.htm