Timing requirements for insulin/IGF-1 signaling in C. elegans.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Bench/animal research (Caenorhabditis elegans model)
PubMed 12399591 · doi:10.1126/science.1074240
What was done
The authors examined the temporal requirements of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway across different life stages in Caenorhabditis elegans to assess when it regulates longevity, reproduction, and diapause. Specific experimental methods, genetic manipulations, and sample sizes are not reported in the abstract.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative measurements, statistics, or effect sizes. Qualitatively, insulin/IGF-1 pathway activity influences aging during adulthood (extending into relatively advanced ages), regulates diapause during development, and controls longevity and reproduction independently of each other.
Why it matters
This study shows that lifespan extension via insulin/IGF-1 signaling can be temporally separated from developmental arrest and reproductive phenotypes in a nematode model.
Limits
This is an invertebrate animal study with no direct evidence for human translation. The abstract provides no sample sizes, specific mutant or intervention details, quantitative survival curves, or effect estimates.
Cited by
- supports Inhibiting the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway in C. elegans nematode worms doubles their lifespan from 15 days to 30 days.