Looking for Evidence of Inherited Longevity in Cells
Researchers are examining cellular biochemistry in people who belong to long-lived families: "The offspring of nonagenarian siblings suffer less from age related conditions and have a lower risk of mortality compared to their partners. Fibroblast strains derived from such offspring in middle age show different in vitro responses to stress, more stress-induced apoptosis and less senescence when compared to strains of their partners. Aiming to find differences in cellular metabolism in vitro between these fibroblast strains, [cells were] analysed using (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolic footprinting. ... Strains from offspring and their partners were compared ... The ala-gln and glucose consumption were higher for fibroblast strains derived from offspring when compared to strains of their partners. Also, production of glutamine, alanine, lactate and pyroglutamic acid was found to be higher for fibroblast strains derived from offspring. In conclusion, differences in NMR-based metabolic profiles of human cells in vitro reflect the propensity for human longevity of the subjects from whom these were derived."