Cynthia Kenyon Explains How daf-2 and Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling Double C. elegans Lifespan

In an iBiology Science Stories talk on YouTube, Cynthia Kenyon describes how mutations in daf-2, the insulin/IGF-1 receptor, double the lifespan of C. elegans. Reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling lets DAF-16/FOXO enter the nucleus and turn up stress-response and antioxidant genes, slowing aging. The work established that aging is a genetically regulated program rather than random wear, underpinning later research on senescent cells and senolytics.