Glasgow scientists discover indicator of life expectancy

Scientists from Glasgow University claim to have made a crucial breakthrough in discovering the ability to predict the lifespan of a human being.

Researchers at the higher education institution teamed up with collegaues at the Un iversity of Exeter to examine small DNA called telomeres in a bid to indicate life expectancy.

Each of our cells contains chromosomes capped by telomeres – stretches of repetitive DNA sequence – that help guard them against damage., albeit wear away as we age.

Now the Glasgow-based group have drawn a link between telemore length and normal ageing via an experiment not on real-life human beings but instead on the small mammal of zebra finches lived.

The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academiy of Sciences USA, saw tiny blood samples taken from 99 of the birds and the lengths of their telomeres measured before being tested again over the course of their lifetimes.

In each case the longest living finches had the longest telomeres, though the best predictor of longevity was found to be telemore length at just 25 days old.

Professor Pat Monaghan, who led the team, said: “We now need to know more about how early life conditions can influence the pattern of telomere loss and the relative importance of inherited and environmental factors.”

The findings could hold huge implications for humans as our telomeres work in a similar way. In future, people might be tested to see how long their telomeres – and more crucially their life expectancy – could be.

In the next stage of their research, the Glasgow-based group will look at what causes telomeres to shorten – including inherited and environmental factors – to make it possible to predict life expectancy.