Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Aging in Germany have discovered a new mechanism by which food restriction leads to longer lifespan, proving the effectiveness of special diets. It turned out that an increase in the amount of sestrin protein inhibited the aging of fruit flies. An article with the results of the study was published in the journal Nature Aging.
Scientists have found out what factor is responsible for the fact that the body responds more to a reduction in the amount of proteins and certain amino acids consumed than to limiting the number of calories in general. The TOR signaling pathway is known to be involved in this mechanism. TOR, or target of rapamycin, is an enzyme called protein kinase that is involved in cell growth and survival.
It turned out that the sister protein is able to bind amino acids, and the suppression of this binding with the help of drugs reduced the activity of the TOR signaling pathway, which, in turn, helped fight aging. What’s more, insects with mutations in protein have improved health even with a protein-rich diet.
At the same time, increasing the number of sister cells in stem cells located in the intestines of flies also protected insects from the negative effects of a protein-rich diet and prolonged life by 10 percent. Thus, a potential drug that increases sister’s activity may become a new way to combat aging in the future.