The findings raise the question of whether genetic variations in specific proteins in humans may protect some people from age associated diseases, while placing others at heightened risk of cancer.
In the study, which received funding from the UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), researchers genetically removed checkpoint proteins in the nematode worm, C.elegans, which resulted in a 15 to 30 per cent increase in the lifespan of the worms.
Previously it was thought that checkpoint proteins were only functional in dividing cells, but this new research suggests they have a dual function, also being active in cells that no longer divide.
Gordon Lithgow, Associate Professor at the Buck Institute, explained: "We know that ageing is a huge risk factor in cancer, and although we know the role these proteins plays in preventing cancer – or encouraging it if the proteins are not working properly - we did not imagine that this checkpoint protein would be involved in determining lifespan."
The team of international researchers, including scientists from Denmark and India, discovered the dual role of the checkpoint proteins while screening the worms for genes that determine stress resistance and longevity in cells.
Professor Lithgow said: "We have known for a long time that checkpoint proteins can influence the development of cancer, now we know they can influence longevity too. This discovery has exciting potential as an area of inquiry into a possible cellular link between ageing and cancer. We are now concentrating on trying to identify additional tumour suppressor genes that impact on ageing in worms and human cells. We think there are many more checkpoint proteins some of which may help to develop therapies for cancer and age associated diseases."
Professor Julia Goodfellow, Chief Executive of BBSRC, which funded the initial stages of the research, said: "Ageing and cancer are global concerns and it is exciting to see the success of international collaborations such as this. It is only by understanding fundamental bioscience like this that we can develop and deliver health benefits to the public in the future."
Contact
Professor Gordon Lithgow, Buck Institute
Tel: +1 415 2092094, email: glithgow@buckinstitute.org
BBSRC Media Office
Matt Goode, Tel: +44 1793 413299, email: matt.goode@bbsrc.ac.uk
Tracey Jewitt, Tel: +44 1793 414694, email: tracey.jewitt@bbsrc.ac.uk
Buck Institute Press Office
Kris Rebillot, Tel: +1 415 2092260, email: krebillot@buckinstitute.org
Notes to Editors
This research appears in Science, 2 June 2006 – 'Checkpoint Proteins Control Survival of the Postmitotic Cells in Caenorhabditis elegans'.
The authors of the paper are Anders Olsen, Maithili Vantipalli and Gordon Lithgow.
This research was supported by grants from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, American National Institutes of Health, the Ellison Medical Foundation, the Glen Foundation for Medical Research, the Herbert Simon Family Medical Foundation, the Danish Research Academy and the Danish Cancer Society.
The Buck Institute is an independent research facility that focuses solely on aging and age-related conditions.
About BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £336 million in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life for UK citizens and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk
Journal
Science