Scientists at Northwestern University have isolated a genetic mutation in an area Amish community that appears to make the people there live 10 years longer.
The study, which you can read in full here, calls out the gene named “SERPINE1”.
A mutant copy of the gene was found in 43 out of 177 members of the Amish community in Berne, in Adams County. Those who had the gene lived on average 10 years longer than those who didn’t, and also seemed to be “significantly less likely” to get diabetes.
Researchers in the US and Japan are now testing a drug that looks to recreate the mutation’s effect, as they’re hoping to find ways to protect against age-related illnesses.
