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5th
EMBL/EMBO Joint Conference 2004 |
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Session III |
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| Genetics of longevity in Iceland |
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Kári
Stefánsson, President and CEO, deCODE Genetics,
Reykjavik, Iceland
In their studies of
the genetics of common diseases, scientists at deCODE
genetics have collected a formidable amount of both
phenotypic and genotypic data on more than 50% of
the adult population of Iceland. When these data
are analyzed in the context of data on the genealogy
of the entire Icelandic nation it provides considerable
transparency into the genetics of the lifespan of
people. I will discuss the following observations
on the genetics of longevity that we have extracted
from these data:
1. In Iceland there is considerable genetic component
to the risk of becoming more than 90 years of age.
The effect of this begins to show once an individual
becomes 65 years of age; those who have at least
one parent who becomes more than 90 stand a significantly
less change of dying within a year than those with
both parents dead at less than 90. Furthermore,
the genetic component of longevity appears to be
relatively simple.
2. We have mapped to genomewide significance two
genes that confer increased risk of longevity in
Iceland.
3. In one of the longevity loci we have found an
inversion of approximately 0.9 Mb that is significantly
associated with longevity in Iceland. Within the
inverted segment of DNA there are several genes
in which expression is influenced by the orientation
of the inverted piece. Variants in one of them have
previously been implicated in deterioration of cognitive
function.
4. The second longevity locus coincides exactly
with a locus that contains a gene that influences
the expression of another gene that contains variants
some of which predispose Alzheimer’s Disease
and others that protect against the same.
Our conclusions are that:
1. The risk of becoming 90 years of age has a genetic
component that is significant enough to reach through
a long life of environmental influences.
2. The genetic component is simple enough to lend
itself to analysis with linkage.
3. It appears that the integrity of the brain is
one of the factors that cap our lifespan potential.
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