World’s Oldest Person’s Genome Offers Clues to Healthy Aging
Barcelona, Spain – The genome of Juanita Branyas Mañà, who recently passed away as the world’s oldest person at the age of 117, is revealing insights into the biological mechanisms behind extraordinary longevity and resistance to age-related illness. Researchers believe her genetic makeup offers potential pathways for developing interventions to extend human healthspan - the period of life spent in good health - rather than simply lifespan.
While living to an extreme age is rare, the study, led by researchers at the University of Aurora in spain, demonstrates that advanced age doesn’t necessarily equate to poor health. branyas Mañà enjoyed remarkably good health for much of her life, and analysis of her genome suggests this wasn’t a matter of chance. The findings challenge the assumption that ill-health is an inevitable consequence of aging and point towards modifiable biological factors.
“When you’re only looking at one person, you can’t be sure whether or not what you’re seeing is as of just fluke, you can’t be sure that the relationship is realy clear,” explained Dr. Manuela Steves, a researcher involved in the study, though she added that focusing on one person can still offer some insights.
The research team illustrated that “extremely advanced age and poor health are not intrinsically linked,” as stated in their published study. By identifying specific genes and proteins associated with healthy aging in Branyas Mañà’s genome, researchers hope to guide the development of targeted drugs.
“Ill-health in age is not inevitable. It comes about as of biological mechanisms … it’s something we can change,” said Steves, emphasizing that achieving healthy aging “is not going to be one single bullet, it’s got to be multiple different pathways.”
The ultimate goal, Steves added, isn’t necessarily for everyone to live to 117. “What we want to do is to try and squash the time when we’re unwell and suffering to as small as possible. And that’s what this lady seems to have done, as well as living to a long time.”
