JERUSALEM, June 2 (Xinhua) -- An international team of researchers has identified a gene that links early growth with faster aging and a higher risk of cancer later in life, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement on Tuesday.
The gene, called vgll3, may help explain why some biological advantages in youth come at a cost in old age, potentially guiding future research into cancer prevention and healthier aging.
In a new study, published in Nature Communications, the team studied the African turquoise killifish, a short-lived species used in aging research.
By editing vgll3, researchers found the fish grew faster, which could be beneficial for survival in the wild, but lived shorter lives and developed more age-related tumors.
They explained the same biological processes that support rapid growth may later take a toll on the body, disrupting cell division and DNA repair.
The researchers concluded that, because humans carry comparable genes, the discovery may shed light on aging and cancer, and point to ways of separating healthy growth from lifelong disease risk. ■
