A potentially universal mechanism of aging found

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered that DNA damage decreases a cell’s ability to regulate which genes are turned on and off in particular settings. This mechanism, which applies both to fungus and to us, might represent a universal culprit for aging.

This is the first potentially fundamental, root cause of aging that researchers found. There may very well be others, but this recent finding that aging in a simple yeast cell is directly relevant to aging in mammals comes as a surprise.

The researchers conclusions may be seen in the November 28 issue of the journal Cell .