Newly described form of stress promotes longevity: Study

The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, suggest that chromatin stress response and the longevity it mediates may be conserved in other organisms.

The study opens up the possibility of new ways to intervene in human ageing and promote longevity. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

A newly described form of stress triggers in cells a response that leads to a longer life, according to a study that opens up the possibility of new ways to intervene in human ageing and promote longevity.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston Methodist Research Institute in the US found that moderate chromatin stress levels set off a stress response in yeast, the tiny laboratory worm C elegans, the fruit fly and mouse embryonic stem cells.