Scientists have identified a miracle enzyme that prolongs youth

Miscellaneous / by admin / April 03, 2023

It helps to remove alcohol from the body, and also allows you to eat a lot and not get fat - well, just a dream.

Scientists from the University of Virginia (USA) have discovered an enzyme that can improve health and prolong youth. Their study published in the journal Current Biology.

As it turns out, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which is responsible for the breakdown and removal of alcohol from the body, can also contribute to healthier aging and, consequently, life extension. But the problem is that over time it loses its performance. However, it can be returned by activating the ADH1 gene - this is one of the forms of alcohol dehydrogenase. Scientists have named this process AMAR (alcohol or aldehyde mediated anti-aging response), which means "immortality" in Sanskrit.

“The discovery was unexpected. We went along the path of a very well-founded hypothesis that the secret of longevity lies in the activation of the process cell rejuvenation called autophagy, and eventually discovered a previously unknown mechanism that improves health.

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Eileen Jorgelina O'Rourke

Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Virginia

So far, experiments have been conducted on the soil worm Caenorhabditis elegans, which shares more than 70% of its genetic makeup with humans. The AMAR mechanism not only improved their health indicators, but also extended their lives by 50%.

What's more, ADH1 activation helped the body better counteract weight gain and even promote weight loss.

“An active ADH1 gene promotes leanness even when animals eat as much as they want,” she said. interview New Atlas Eileen Jorgelina O'Rourke.

Now the scientists want to test their mechanism in mice and then do studies with cultured human cells.