Genetic trade-off between youth and longevity uncovered by researchers

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A new study identifies vgll3 as a key gene that promotes rapid growth and early reproduction while increasing the risk of aging and cancer later in life. The findings provide rare experimental evidence for the theory that evolution favors early-life advantages even at the expense of long-term health. Researchers say the discovery could open new paths for understanding, and potentially separating, the biological links between development, aging, and disease.

Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qu6rwdv_22NK6ndXps26Y4Re_5aIAsVg?usp=sharing

Researchers have identified a gene that directly links early-life growth and reproductive success with accelerated aging and increased cancer risk later in life, offering new insight into a longstanding theory in evolutionary biology.

Now, an international team led by Dr. Eitan Moses, Dr. Marva Bergman, and Prof. Itamar Harel at Hebrew University, in collaboration with Prof. Nabieh Ayoub (Technion) and Prof. Alexei A. Maklakov (University of East Anglia), provides experimental evidence for the theory of antagonistic pleiotropy, the idea that certain genes can provide advantages early in life while contributing to disease and decline in old age.