Subfield history: use of model organisms in the search for human aging genes.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of animal and model organism genetics without primary human data
PubMed 12844551 · doi:10.1126/sageke.2003.6.re1
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the history and progress of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) program started in 1993 to discover genes regulating longevity across model organisms, including yeast, nematodes, fruit flies, and mice, with the aim of translating findings to human aging.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect estimates. It notes that single-gene mutant studies across model organisms identified conserved processes involved in longevity regulation, including the insulin-like signaling pathway, stress resistance, and chromosome and nuclear architecture, as well as indirect genetic regulators.
Why it matters
It contextualizes how comparative genetics in non-human model systems can identify conserved molecular pathways relevant to human age-related physiological decline.
Limits
This is a narrative historical overview with no systematic search criteria, primary data, or statistical synthesis. The abstract gives no quantitative metrics, and genetic findings from model organisms may not translate directly to humans.
Cited by
- supports Longevity genes were first discovered in model organisms such as nematode worms and yeast.