Gene Therapy Protects Against Major Age-Related Diseases in Mice

Aging once seemed inscrutable and inevitable. In recent years, however, scientists have identified molecular factors that control aging and have used that information to prolong life in several animal species. Do genes that attenuate aging do anything to protect against “age-related” diseases?

Using a viral vector, investigators introduced three longevity-associated genes into mice and showed that the genes produced their proteins appropriately. This vector-encoded combination gene therapy then was tested in several mouse models of human disease. In mice that develop cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure following aortic constriction, this gene therapy caused heart function to increase by 58%; in mice that develop renal medullary fibrosis an…