Compound in Salmon Switches on "Longevity Gene"

News Staff : Apr 3, 2017
University of Hawaii Cancer Center

"All of us have the FOXO3 gene, which protects against aging in humans. But about one in three persons carry a version of the FOXO3 gene that is associated with longevity." -Dr. Bradley Willcox

(Honolulu, HI)—The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) and Cardax, Inc., a Honolulu based life sciences company, have jointly announced the results of an animal study evaluating the effectiveness of a compound that holds promise in anti-aging therapy. (Photo: Public Domain/via StockSnap)

The Astaxanthin compound CDX-085 (developed by Cardax) showed the ability to significantly increase the expression of the FOXO3 gene, which plays a proven role in longevity.

"All of us have the FOXO3 gene, which protects against aging in humans," said Dr. Bradley Willcox, MD, Professor and Director of Research at the Department of Geriatric Medicine, JABSOM, and Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health-funded Kuakini Hawaii Lifespan and Healthspan Studies. "But about one in three persons carry a version of the FOXO3 gene that is associated with longevity. By activating the FOXO3 gene common in all humans, we can make it act like the "longevity" version. Through this research, we have shown that Astaxanthin "activates" the FOXO3 gene," said Willcox.

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