The more of these two proteins you have, the worse your health and the shorter your life!

Recently, a study published in Nature Aging found that two blood proteins affect human life span and health, and developing drugs targeting these two blood proteins is expected to become one of the ways to slow down the aging process.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK combined the results of six large genetic studies with human aging research to study 857 proteins and found that lipoprotein a (LPA) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) had significant negative effects in different aging tests.

The researchers found that people with higher levels of these two proteins reported worse self-reported health and had a shorter lifespan than the average person.

LPA is mainly produced in the liver and plays a role in the blood clotting process. Elevated levels of LPA increase the risk of atherosclerosis and may also lead to heart disease and stroke.

VCAM-1 is primarily expressed in endothelial cells, where it controls the dilation and contraction of blood vessels and plays a role in coagulation and immune responses. When the body signals that it has been infected, VCAM-1 levels rise.

The researchers say developing drugs that reduce LPA and VCAM-1 levels could have benefits for improving human health and lifespan.

Clinical trials are already underway to test whether a drug that lowers LPA levels could be a way to reduce the risk of heart disease.

There are no similar clinical trials involving VCAM-1, but studies in mice have shown that antibodies that reduce levels of this protein can improve cognition in older people.

"The identification of two key proteins could help extend human lifespan. Drugs that reduce levels of the two proteins in the blood could allow ordinary people to live as long and healthy as people who are born with lower levels of LPA and VCAM-1," said Paul Timmers, lead researcher at the Medical Research Institute Human Genetics Institute at the University of Edinburgh.

"This study demonstrates the power of modern genetics in the development of two potential targets for life-extending drugs," said Jim Wilson, director of the institute.

Source: China Science Daily

Author:Xu Rui

Related paper information:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00159-8

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