Editing Life extension (section)

===CRISPR/Cas9===
{{Main|CRISPR}}
CRISPR/Cas9 edits genes by precisely cutting DNA and then harnessing natural DNA repair processes to modify the gene in the desired manner. The system has two components: the Cas9 enzyme and a guide RNA.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://crisprtx.com/gene-editing | title=Gene Editing }}</ref>  A large array of genetic modifications have been found to increase lifespan in model organisms such as yeast, nematode worms, fruit flies, and mice. As of 2013, the longest extension of life caused by a single gene manipulation was roughly 50% in mice and 10-fold in [[nematode]] worms.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Tacutu R, Craig T, Budovsky A, Wuttke D, Lehmann G, Taranukha D, Costa J, Fraifeld VE, de Magalhães JP | display-authors = 6 | title = Human Ageing Genomic Resources: integrated databases and tools for the biology and genetics of ageing | journal = Nucleic Acids Research | volume = 41 | issue = Database issue | pages = D1027–D1033 | date = January 2013 | pmid = 23193293 | pmc = 3531213 | doi = 10.1093/nar/gks1155 }}</ref>

[[File:Healthspan, parental lifespan, and longevity are highly genetically correlated.webp|thumb|right|200px|"Healthspan, parental lifespan, and longevity are highly genetically correlated."<ref name="Multivariate"/>]]
In July [[2020 in science|2020]] scientists, using public [[List of biological databases|biological data]] on 1.75 m people with known lifespans overall, identify 10 [[Locus (genetics)|genomic loci]] which appear to intrinsically influence [[healthspan]], lifespan, and longevity – of which half have not been reported previously at [[Genome-wide association study|genome-wide significance]] and most being associated with [[cardiovascular disease]] – and identify [[Human iron metabolism|haem metabolism]] as a promising candidate for further research within the field. Their study suggests that high levels of iron in the blood likely reduce, and genes involved in metabolising iron likely increase healthy years of life in humans.<ref>{{cite news |title=Blood iron levels could be key to slowing ageing, gene study shows |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-blood-iron-key-ageing-gene.html |access-date=18 August 2020 |language=en |work=Phys.org |date=July 16, 2020 |author=University of Edinburgh}}</ref><ref name="Multivariate">{{cite journal |vauthors=Timmers PR, Wilson JF, Joshi PK, Deelen J |date=July 2020 |title=Multivariate genomic scan implicates novel loci and haem metabolism in human ageing |journal=Nature Communications |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=3570 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.3570T |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-17312-3 |pmc=7366647 |pmid=32678081}} [[File:CC-BY_icon.svg|50x50px|class=noviewer]] Text and images are available under a [[creativecommons:by/4.0/|Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]].</ref> The same month other scientists report that yeast cells of the same genetic material and within the same environment age in two distinct ways, describe a biomolecular mechanism that can determine which process dominates during aging and [[genetically engineer]] a novel aging route with substantially extended lifespan.<ref>{{cite news |title=Researchers discover 2 paths of aging and new insights on promoting healthspan |url=https://phys.org/news/2020-07-paths-aging-insights-healthspan.html |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=Phys.org |language=en |date=July 16, 2020 |author=University of California}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Li Y, Jiang Y, Paxman J, O'Laughlin R, Klepin S, Zhu Y, Pillus L, Tsimring LS, Hasty J, Hao N | display-authors = 6 | title = A programmable fate decision landscape underlies single-cell aging in yeast | journal = Science | volume = 369 | issue = 6501 | pages = 325–329 | date = July 2020 | pmid = 32675375 | pmc = 7437498 | doi = 10.1126/science.aax9552 | bibcode = 2020Sci...369..325L }}</ref>