Keeping it cool is secret to long life

Scientists have found that mice genetically altered to live a cooler life also live a longer life.

A chilled mouse can live 15% longer than its warmer counterparts

Researcher Bruno Conti of the Scripps Research Institute in the US and his colleagues created mice whose body temperature was half-degree Celsius lower than normal. This slight change helped the mice live on average 15% longer.

The finding links with past studies that have shown lifespan can be extended in animals by cutting down on the calories in their diets - a method that also lowers body temperature. “The mechanisms mediating the increased lifespan in the ‘cool mice’ may be similar to those of calorie restriction,” Conti speculated.

The team engineered the mice by ‘overheating’ cells in the hypothalamus, a brain structure that houses the body’s central thermostat. The researchers speculated that heating this area up would fool the body into lowering its overall body temperature to compensate.

The research team hope that the findings could help untangle the mechanisms underlying aging and help lead to novel therapies for aging-related disease.

Conti and his colleagues report their findings in the November 3 issue of the journal Science.