Genes that control ’ageing’ steroid identified

Eight genes which control levels of the main steroid produced by the adrenal gland, believed to play a role in ageing and longevity, have been uncovered by an international consortium of scientists, co-led by King's College London. Crucially, some of these eight genetic regions are also associated with other important diseases of ageing, including type 2 diabetes and lymphoma. Researchers say that these findings, published in the journal PLoS Genetics today, provide the first genetic evidence for the ageing role of the steroid, and therefore highlights it as a marker of biological ageing. It was already known that the concentration of the steroid dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), declines rapidly with age - it diminishes by 95 per cent by the age of 85. This has led to speculation that a relative DHEAS deficiency may contribute to common age-related diseases or diminished longevity. To explore the mechanisms behind declining levels of the steroid, the researchers carried out an analysis of DHEAS levels and 2.5 million genetic variants in 14,846 people from Europe and USA. They found eight common genes that control the blood concentration of DHEAS, and importantly some of these genes are associated with ageing and common age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and lymphoma.