Reducing single gene activity boosts healthy longevity in mice, study reveals

 A reduction in the function of a fundamentally important gene called Myc may significantly increase the healthy lifespan of laboratory mice, a US study said Thursday.

Myc, found in the genomes of all animals, has been shown to be a central regulator of cell proliferation, growth and death. It is of such widespread and fundamental importance that animals cannot live without it, said the study in the U.S. journal Cell.