Institut Pasteur team identifies a key protein linked to ageing

Ageing is a dramatic public health issue in the face of the current demographic changes: the proportion of 60 and over in the world’s population will almost double by 2050. In this context, a new discovery has just broadened scientific knowledge. Researchers from the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Department at the Institut Pasteur shed light on the mechanisms of senescence, by identifying a key protein associated with ageing.

Currently, most of older people die of noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, rather than infectious or parasitic diseases, even in developing countries. Thus, ageing is a major public health issue and the Institut Pasteur is committed to being a major player in research in this area.

A better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that lead to ageing will pave the way towards ultimately healthier ageing, which is a major socioeconomic issue for the coming decades.

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