ABSTRACT
Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have carried out an extensive search for longevity genes among Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians and have found promising genetic variants in a gene encoding insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) receptor (Suh et al., 2008). These researchers point out that complete or partial loss of function mutations in genes encoding components of the insulin/ IGF1 pathway result in extension of life span in yeasts, worms, ies, and mice. They reason that the universality of this signaling mechanism across the animal world is a testament to its likely importance as a longevity gene in humans, specically Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians. The availability of an extensive genome bank, along with a detailed record of lifestyle of many aged individuals and their offspring, is an important advantage for this research. Interestingly, it has been publicized that some of the aged individuals in this study engaged throughout life in activities that might seem the antithesis of healthy living. One scenario derived from these data on behavior is that genes might sometimes trump environment for a long, healthy life.
