Ariela Benigni and colleagues, at the "Mario Negri" Institute for Pharmacological Research, Italy, have found that mice lacking the protein AT1A live substantially longer than normal mice. As drugs that antagonize AT1A are currently used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, the authors suggest that future studies should investigate whether such drugs prolong life in humans. Further analysis revealed that the increased lifespan in mice lacking AT1A was likely a result of decreased oxidative damage to cells, a key factor in ageing, and increased levels of genes involved in cell survival (such as Sirt3).
