Research links insulin to longevity

Insulin - the drug used to treat diabetes - may help people live longer, scientists have found.

The new discovery could lead to a breakthrough in allowing people to live longer and healthier lives.

Scientists in the US have found that insulin inhibits a key gene in the ageing process, which increases lifespan.

In the future it may be possible to manipulate the SKN-1 gene through gene therapy, which may lead to increased resistance to chronic diseases and influence longevity.

"We've found something new that insulin does and it has to be considered when we think about how insulin is affecting our cells and bodies," said researcher Dr Keith Blackwell.

"This has implications for basic biology since under some circumstances insulin may reduce defence against the damaging effects of oxidative stress more than we realize."

Scientists at the Joslin Diabetes Centre in Boston believe the work could be important as it relates to the treatment of diabetes and the many problems associated with the disease, particularly vascular and renal complications.

The breakthrough was tested on the digestive system of C. elegans, a microscopic worm often used as a model organism.

But the finding may be most important for what it teaches about ageing in general, said Dr Blackwell, an associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School.

"The major implication is that we have found something new that affects lifespan and ageing, and an important new effect that insulin and/or a related hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 may have in some tissues," he said, adding: "The implications go far beyond diabetes."

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