The hypothalamus is a small structure located deep within the brain. It plays a critical role in controlling growth, reproduction and metabolism, but now it could hold the key to ageing too. A team of scientists in the US looked at this region of the brain in mice. They found that blocking a chemical in this area increased the animals' lifespan. Healthy mice typically live for between 600 to 1000 days. But the rodents in the study were living about a fifth longer without suffering from problems that are common in old age, such as muscle loss or memory problems. Conversely, when the scientists boosted the substance in the hypothalamus, the animal's lifespan was shortened. The researchers now want to fully understand the biological mechanism behind this process. They say the work provide new insights into age-related diseases, and in the future even raise the prospect of drugs that could increase our lifespan.


下丘脑是大脑深处的一个很小的结构。下丘脑对生长、生殖及新陈代谢具有至关重要的控制作用，现在它还对衰老具有关键性的意义。 美国的一组科学家观察了小鼠大脑中的这个区域。他们发现阻断这一区域的一种化学成分能够延长动物的寿命。健康小鼠的寿命大致为600天至1000天。 在研究中，啮齿动物的生存时间延长了20%，并且没有年老的种种迹象，如肌肉活力丧失及记忆问题。相反，当科学家增加下丘脑中这种物质的成分，动物的寿命就会相应缩短。 现在，研究人员想清楚这个过程背后的生物学机制。他们说这工作能够为与年龄有关的疾病提供新的见解。在未来，甚至可以有延长我们寿命药物的出现。