"The deepest dive yet into the biology of a supercentenarian has revealed that even extreme old age can be reached without the brain necessarily faltering or the usual illnesses mounting up. Doctors in Spain conducted a comprehensive suite of tests on Maria Branyas Morera, who was the world's oldest person before she died at 117 years old last year. They discovered that while her body showed clear signs of extreme old age, a number of biological factors protected her from the diseases that normally plague the final years of life."
"Esteller and his colleagues drew on blood, saliva, urine and stool samples collected a year before Branyas's death to build a detailed picture of her biology. The tests delved into her genetics and the extent to which different genes were switched on and off; the varieties and levels of proteins in her blood, the breakdown products from reactions in her body and the diversity of microbes in her gut."
"Among a trove of discoveries, they found that protective caps called telomeres on the ends of Branyas's chromosomes were exceptionally short, a clear sign of old age in her cells. Her immune system also showed signs of old age, was prone to inflammation, and she had acquired mutations that lead to leukaemia. But Branyas was seemingly well protected."
Doctors in Spain performed extensive biological testing on Maria Branyas Morera, who died aged 117, using blood, saliva, urine and stool samples collected a year before her death. Analyses examined genetics, gene activity, blood protein profiles, metabolic breakdown products and gut microbiome diversity. Results showed clear cellular signs of aging: exceptionally short telomeres, an aged immune system prone to inflammation, and acquired mutations associated with leukaemia. Despite those markers, clinical health and brain function did not show the usual severe decline seen in extreme old age, indicating factors that separated being old from being sick.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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