THE INDEPENDENT – Scientists have discovered a “blueprint” for long life by decoding the genome, gut health and lifestyle of the world’s oldest person who died last year at 117.
Maria Branyas Morera, an American-Catalan Caucasian woman, was born in March 1907 in San Francisco, US, and died in August 2024.
While centenarians are becoming more common thanks to advances in health care, supercentenarians aged over 110 are still extremely rare.
Morera exceeded the average life expectancy of Catalonia, Spain, by over 30 years. She attributed her longevity to “luck and good genetics” and to “avoiding toxic people”.
A yet-to-be peer-reviewed study analysed her genes, microbiome and lifestyle to find the cells in her body functioned as if they were 17 years younger than her actual age. And her gut health was extremely youthful, resembling that of a child.
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For the new study, researchers developed a comprehensive analysis platform to assess different tissues of Morera for the activity of her genome and proteins as well as microbes living on them.
They compared the results with data from non-supercentenarian populations. Scientists found the supercentenarian’s genome likely contained variations linked to a stronger immune system, reduced cancer risk and protection from heart disease …