Russian scientists have established that random DNA changes limit the maximum human lifespan to a range of 146 to 194 years.
Russian scientists have for the first time calculated how age-related genetic changes restrict longevity, the press service of Skoltech reported. The researchers found that random DNA mutations set a lifespan limit of 146 to 194 years. This figure is twice the current human longevity records.
“We have shown that somatic mutations significantly contribute to aging but cannot by themselves explain the observed mortality. This means that other aging mechanisms—such as loss of proteostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, or epigenetic changes—contribute comparably to limiting lifespan,” said Dmitry Kryukov, a researcher at the Center for Bio and Medical Technologies.
To obtain these data, the specialists developed a complex mathematical model. It allowed them to sequentially deactivate reversible aging processes and assess the impact of somatic mutations alone on the body. These DNA changes are not inherited but cause serious disruptions in cell and tissue function.
The main limiting factor turned out to be tissues incapable of division, such as neurons and heart cells. According to the researchers, mutations in their DNA reduce the lifespan of a hypothetical non-aging organism from 1,759 to 156 years. Meanwhile, tissues with high regenerative capacity, like the liver, can function for millennia due to constant renewal.
Scientists note that the calculation results will allow biologists to quantitatively assess the impact of specific mutations on shortening life. This will help identify the main factors of accelerated body aging and use the findings to develop new therapies aimed at extending healthy human life.
As reported by the VZGLYAD newspaper, Russian Academy of Sciences academician Gennady Onishchenko predicted an increase in the average life expectancy of Russians to 81 years by 2036. And Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova stated that this indicator has doubled over the past century.
A month earlier, American doctors for the first time administered an experimental drug to a patient to reprogram cell aging.
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