Restricting calorie intake extends lifespan and decreases disease burden in animals. In humans, a 14 percent reduction in calorie intake could allow us to harness these beneficial effects, especially on the thymus, a crucial organ for the immune system, according to a study published February 10 in Science. The study also identifies a key protein, PLA2G7, that underlies these effects of calorie restriction, and, the authors say, may point the way toward a means of reaping those benefits with no hunger required.
“By combining human with mice studies, the authors have identified a promising targetable protein. Interfering with this protein can improve metabolic and immune health,” María Mittelbrunn, a researcher in immunometabolism and inflammation at the Severo Ochoa Centre for Molecular Biology in Madrid, Spain, who was not involved in the research, writes in an email to The Scientist. “This study will open a new avenue to investigate whether interfering ...
