Having a social life may just be the key to linkurl:longevity,;http://www.the-scientist.com/2006/3/1/28/1/ and the effect of interacting with peers shows up even in basic molecular pathways, according to a new study from University of Iowa researchers. Though research has previously shown that animals engaging in social interaction may have longer life spans, a new linkurl:study;http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/21/7506 published in __PNAS__ yesterday (May 26) explores the molecular mechanisms of the phenomenon. linkurl:Chun-Fang Wu,;http://www.biology.uiowa.edu/faculty_info.php?ID=112 a University of Iowa neurogeneticist and lead researcher on the study, found that linkurl:__Drosophila__;http://www.the-scientist.com/news/home/53844/ mutants lacking a key enzyme used to eliminate reactive oxygen species from cytosol lived longer when housed with healthy flies - or "helpers." Some __Sod__ mutants housed with helpers lived twice as long as mutants who did not interact with helpers, Wu said. This study offers one of the first glimpses into the biochemical pathways linking social interaction to the physiological benefits it elicits, said Wu. "You...
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