SCIENCE OF AGING

February 2005
		Scientists have isolated a series of genes found in many different plants and animals that seem to control the aging process. Two leading scientists on "anti-aging" gene research took your questions. Click here for the questions and answers.

Online NewsHour Special: Science of Aging Other Science Reports Extended Interviews: Dr. Stephen Helfand Dr. David Sinclair July 14, 2004: A report on the challenges and potential benefits surrounding the sometimes overlooked area of adult stem cell research. Feb. 16, 2004: The director of the National Institutes of Health is spearheading efforts to speed up the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to be translated into new medical treatments and drugs. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of science	Seventy years ago scientists first discovered that rodents kept on a carefully balanced but calorie-restricted diet lived longer, healthier lives on average than control animals on a normal diet. Later research showed the same thing happened to every animal tested, but no one understood why restricting calories made lifespans longer. Some scientists now believe that research shows certain genes control aging, and by manipulating those genes, the effect on lifespans is similar to reducing calorie consumption. Two leading scientists on the study of these anti-aging genes -- Dr. Stephen Helfand, professor of genetics and developmental biology at the University of Connecticut, and Dr. David Sinclair, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School -- took your questions about their research.