Stefania Kapsetaki and Nektarios Tavernarakis, a Partner of Komvos, examine the biological mechanisms of exceptional longevity in a review published in Aging.

DNA maintenance, cellular renewal and stress management emerge as common themes in studies of organisms that live for more than 250 years. A new scientific review examines the available evidence on these processes and their contribution to our understanding of ageing.

The paper was published in Aging, under the title “How to live for centuries: common denominators of organisms with exceptional longevity”. The two authors brought together and assessed previous studies, identifying converging findings and gaps in existing knowledge.

The authors are Stefania Kapsetaki, of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, and Nektarios Tavernarakis, Professor of Systems Molecular Biology at the University of Crete Medical School, Distinguished Member of FORTH and a Partner of Komvos.

Which organisms live for more than 250 years?

The review covers 101 multicellular species: 90 plants and 11 animals, with a maximum recorded lifespan of at least 250 years. This threshold refers to the greatest age recorded for each species. The lifespans of individual organisms can vary considerably.

Examples examined include the bivalve mollusc Arctica islandica, the Greenland shark and the bristlecone pine Pinus longaeva.

Organisms with a strong capacity for regeneration are also of particular interest. The jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii can revert to an earlier developmental stage. Planarians, small flatworms, possess stem cells that produce different cell types and support the regeneration of their bodies. These properties allow scientists to investigate how tissue renewal is maintained.

Which mechanisms are associated with longevity?

The authors examine two aspects of longevity: differences in lifespan between species and differences between individuals of the same species. Their comparison points to the importance of protecting genetic material, maintaining stem cells and managing cellular stress.

DNA repair helps address damage to genetic material. Stem cell maintenance supports the production of new cells and regeneration. Stress resistance is associated with the ability of organisms to respond to cellular and environmental challenges.

Some indicators frequently examined in ageing research show different patterns across species or tissues. Telomeres, the protective regions at the ends of chromosomes, are one example. Their length, metabolic rate and antioxidant activity do not consistently explain differences in lifespan between individuals of exceptionally long-lived species.

According to the review, exceptional longevity appears to arise from the interaction of multiple biological processes, with the available evidence varying from case to case.

What can these organisms contribute to human health?

Long-lived organisms provide comparative models for studying ageing. The authors emphasise that further studies are needed to explore how the findings might be applied to human health. A central question is which mechanisms actually contribute to longevity and how they function in different organisms.

Existing knowledge remains fragmented. Many species have received little study at the molecular level, while available research uses different methods and tissues. Moreover, life in the laboratory can differ substantially from conditions in the wild.

One important gap concerns healthspan: the years during which an organism remains healthy and functional. Organised databases record the maximum lifespan of many species, but there is no equivalent systematic record of the years they spend in good health. Such data would help us better understand the relationship between longevity and the maintenance of biological function.

Read the full paper.