Gene Variant Tied to Human Aging
By John Travis
Named for a figure in Greek mythology, the gene called klotho has stirred controversy since 1997, when a mouse study hinted that it has a role in aging. Now, an analysis of three human populations reveals that a certain pattern of klotho variants is more prevalent in elderly people than in newborns, suggesting that the gene influences human aging or specific age-related illnesses.
“This new study makes me take the claim that it may be important to aging more seriously,” says George M. Martin of the University of Washington in Seattle, who has been skeptical about klotho‘s role.