Ageing – it’s down to steroids

Ageing is all down to the decrease in a steroid, and an international team of researchers have discovered eight genes which control its concentration.

Researchers co-led by King’s College London have uncovered eight genes which control the level of dehydroeipandrosterone sulphate or DHEAS – the main steroid produced by the adrenal gland.

DHEAS is believed to play a role in aging and longevity – its concentration declines rapidly with age, diminishing by 95% by the age of 85. This has led to speculation that DHEAS deficiency may contribute to common age-related diseases and reduced longevity.

Researchers analysed DHEAS levels and 2.5 million genetic variants in 14,846 people from Europe and USA. They discovered eight common genes that control the blood concentration of the steroid – the first genetic evidence of the steroid’s role in ageing.

Some of these genes are associated with aging and common age-related disease such as type 2 diabetes and lymphoma.

“This is the first large-scale study to unlock the mystery that has always surrounded DHEAS,” said Dr Guangju Zhai from King’s. “We have identified specific genes that control its concentration levels and shown that some of these are also involved in the ageing process and age-related diseases.”

Zhai said the findings provide the basis for future studies looking at the mechanisms of how DHEAS is involved in ageing. The next important question, he said, is to answer whether sustained high levels of DHEAS can delay the ageing process and prevent age-related diseases.

“This study shows the power of collaborative genetic studies to uncover mechanisms of how the body works,” said senior co-author Professor Tim Spector. “For 50 years we have observed the most abundant circulating steroid in the body, DHEAS, with no clue as to its role. Now its genes have shown us its importance in many parts of the ageing process.”