[news.sciencemag.org]

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Every day, our cells manufacture small amounts of a molecule that, in higher doses, might be the key to leading a longer, healthier life. A team of researchers has found that this molecule boosts the lifespan of worms by more than 50%, raising the possibility that it will increase human longevity.

“I think the data are really convincing,” says molecular geneticist William Mair of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “They have a very strong lifespan effect using this [compound].”

The route to a long life doesn’t lead through the kitchen. Researchers have known for decades that when animals eat dramatically less—undergoing what’s known as calorie restriction or dietary restriction—they live longer and delay or avoid age-related problems like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But if you’re planning to try this at home, there are a few catches. For one thing, scientists haven’t confirmed the benefits of calorie restriction for primates, including humans. Although eating less does help monkeys age gracefully, it's unclear whether calorie restriction increases their lifespan. And surviving on far fewer calories is no picnic. “The problem is that requirement is so stringent that almost nobody can make it,” says Jing Huang of the University of California, Los Angeles.

As a result, researchers have been testing alternative ways to slow aging and lengthen life, such as the grape extract resveratrol and the immune-suppressing drug rapamycin. Although both have shown promise in experimental animals—rapamycin increases the longevity of middle-aged mice—they’ve also shown drawbacks. Rapamycin, for example, meddles with sugar metabolism and may lead to diabetes. Huang and her colleagues deduced that because aging depends on metabolism, compounds produced in cells by metabolic reactions—known as metabolites—might also boost lifespan.”