Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have made a significant breakthrough in understanding how dietary restriction can slow brain aging and increase lifespan. The researchers have identified a gene called OXR1, which is crucial for the lifespan extension observed with dietary restriction and is essential for healthy brain aging.

According to Kenneth Wilson, Ph.D., a postdoc at the Buck Institute and the first author of the study published in Nature Communications, the impact of food restriction on the brain is often overlooked. He emphasized the importance of the OXR1 gene in brain health and aging, highlighting its role in the protective effects of dietary restriction.

The study, conducted in fruit flies and human cells, revealed a detailed cellular mechanism through which dietary restriction can delay aging and slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The findings also point to potential therapeutic targets for combating aging and age-related neurodegenerative conditions.

Professor , Ph.D., co-senior author of the study, explained, ‘We found a neuron-specific response that mediates the neuroprotection of dietary restriction. Strategies such as intermittent fasting or caloric restriction, which limit nutrients, may enhance levels of this gene to mediate its protective effects.’

The research highlights the significance of the OXR1 gene as a crucial factor in protecting the brain against aging and neurological diseases. Co-senior author of the study, Professor Lisa Ellerby, Ph.D., emphasized the gene’s role as an important brain resilience factor.

Prior to this breakthrough, the team had already identified mechanisms that improve lifespan and healthspan with dietary restriction. However, the variability in individual responses to reduced calories across different tissues and individuals suggested that there are still many undiscovered processes at play. To understand this variability, the team scanned approximately 200 strains of flies with different genetic backgrounds, raised on normal diets or subjected to dietary restriction. They identified five genes, including OXR1, with specific variants that significantly affected longevity under dietary restriction, two of which had counterparts in human genetics.