The OSER1 protein was found to have a major effect on longevity

It turns out that a certain gene has a big influence on longevity, concludes a new study from the University of Copenhagen. This may pave the way for a new treatment.

Sleep, fasting, exercise, green porridge, black coffee, healthy social life…

There is a lot of advice out there on how to live a good, long life. Researchers are working hard to determine why some people live longer than others and how we make the most of our increasingly long lifespans.

Now researchers from the Center for Healthy Aging, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Copenhagen have made a breakthrough. They discovered that a particular protein known as OSER1 has a major effect on longevity.

We identified this protein that can extend longevity (long lifespan, red.). It’s a new pro-longevity factor and it’s a protein found in a variety of animals, including fruit flies, nematodes, silkworms and humans.”

Professor Lene Juel Rasmussen, senior author behind the new study

Because the protein is present in a variety of animals, the researchers conclude that the new results apply to humans as well:

“We identified a protein that is commonly present in different animal models and in humans. We looked at the proteins and linked the data from the animals to the human cohort that was also used in the study. This allows us to understand whether it translates to humans or not.” says Zhiquan Li, who is the first author behind the new study, adding:

“If the gene only exists in animal models, it can be difficult to translate to human health, so at first we looked at potential longevity proteins that exist in many organisms, including humans. Because at the end of the day, we’re interested in identify human longevity genes for potential interventions and drug discoveries.”

It paves the way for new treatment

The researchers discovered OSER1 when they studied a larger group of proteins regulated by the master transcription factor FOXO, known as the longevity regulatory center.

“We found 10 genes that when – we manipulated their expression – longevity changed. We decided to focus on one of these genes that most affected longevity, called the OSER1 gene,” says Zhiquan Li.

When a gene is associated with a shorter lifespan, the risk of premature aging and age-related diseases increases. Therefore, knowledge of how OSER1 functions in cells and in preclinical animal models is crucial to our overall knowledge of human aging and human health in general.

“We are currently focused on uncovering the role of OSER1 in humans, but the lack of existing literature is a challenge, as very little has been published on this topic to date. This study is the first to show that OSER1 is an important regulator of aging and longevity In the future, we hope to provide insights into the specific age-related diseases and aging processes that OSER1 affects,” says Zhiquan Li.

The researchers also hope that the identification and characterization of OSER1 will provide new drug targets for age-related diseases such as metabolic, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

“Thus, the discovery of this new pro-longevity factor allows us to better understand longevity in humans,” says Zhiquan Li.