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Genetic treatment extends fruit fly lifespan and prevents Alzheimer’s damage

16 March 2021

Modifying brain cell activity can extend the lifespan of fruit flies while also preventing the damage characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.

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The researchers found that by modifying the levels of two different proteins that are active in two different types of brain cells, they could extend fruit fly lifespans by around 7-9% (close to an extra week), they report in PNAS.

The treatments also reduced the buildup of amyloid, the harmful brain proteins characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, in flies that have been bred as models for researching the disease.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/feb/genetic-treatment-extends-fruit-fly-...