Study finds aging can be decoupled from disease in a supercentenarian

Researchers report that a comprehensive biological analysis of Maria Branyas Morera, who died in August 2024 at the age of 117 years and 168 days, reveals a combination of genetic, molecular and lifestyle features that may have contributed to her exceptional lifespan. The results, published Sept. 24 in Cell Reports Medicine, are based on minimally invasive samples collected from Branyas Morera over three years, including blood, saliva, urine and stool, and compare her genomic, epigenomic, metabolomic, proteomic and microbiomic profiles with those of younger populations and other long-lived cohorts.

The study found that, despite displaying molecular hallmarks of aging, Branyas Morera did not develop major age-related diseases such as cancer or neurodegenerative disorders and had a biological or epigenetic age approximately 23 years younger than her chronological age. Researchers identified genetic variants associated with protection from common age-linked conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegeneration, along with markers of efficient lipid metabolism and an epigenome linked to chromosomal stability and slower epigenetic aging. Her gut microbiome was...