Bones may release proteins that slow aging and extend life span
New research in mice suggests that gently compressing leg bones can trigger osteocytes to release proteins that slow aging and extend lifespan, hinting at bones as active endocrine organs. Commenters explore how this might translate to humans through weight-bearing exercise or vibration, debate evolutionary reasons for such a mechanism, and note that any therapeutic application would require careful validation beyond animal models. Many emphasize that, despite the speculative nature of anti-aging claims, the findings add one more plausible pathway by which regular, skeletal-loading activity could benefit long-term health.
Study & Mechanism
- Thread centers on a mouse study where “moderate” axial compression of tibia bones (about 2 N, 2 Hz, 300 cycles, twice weekly) extended lifespan
3 months (9 human years by rough analogy). - Loading was done under anesthesia with a mechanical device, isolating bone effects from systemic effects of normal exercise.
- The treatment appears to trigger osteocytes to release blood-borne anti-aging factors; proteins mentioned include Piezo1 and PEDF, though details and completeness of this mechanism are noted as still incomplete.
Exercise Translation & Practical Speculation
- Several comments try to map bone loading to human exercises:
- Emphasis on compressive “pushing” movements: squats, leg press, chest/military press, cycling, walking, hopping/rope-skipping.
- Some suggest running may produce less relevant loading because good runners minimize impact; others note tibial forces up to ~6× body weight during running are within physiological limits.
- There is playful extrapolation about massages, constant gentle pressure, standing desks, treadmill desks, and simple home movements (squats, sit-to-stands).
Evolution, Aging, and Trade-Offs
- Multiple speculative evolutionary explanations:
- Bone loading as a proxy for activity/resource environment, guiding investment in repair.
- “Economical skeleton” idea: stress signals when to maintain vs conserve energy.
- Possibility that lifespan effects are side-effects or metabolic byproducts, not directly selected.
- Some push back that evolutionary stories are often unfalsifiable, while others argue evolutionary framing is still necessary for coherent biology.
Cancer, Longevity, and Metabolism
- Discussion on whether slowing aging might increase cancer risk or vice versa.
- One view: both aging and cancer are mainly metabolic failures, so fixing metabolism would fix both.
- Counterview: this is oversimplified; aging processes (e.g., senescence) may actively suppress cancer, so interfering could be risky.
Skepticism, Evidence Level, and Hype
- Several commenters stress:
- Results are in mice only; effects may not scale to humans.
- Many anti-aging mouse studies don’t translate well.
- Need replication across multiple mouse strains and careful human work.
- Some criticize popular coverage for overselling low-level evidence, while others argue this study is more substantive (identified upstream protein; human-cell effects; association with aging and disease via Mendelian randomization).
Related Mechanisms & Anecdotes
- Speculation about:
- Vibration (e.g., bone-healing devices, whole-body vibration, cats’ purring) as a possible trigger for similar pathways, with caution about occupational overexposure (pneumatic tools).
- Heat stress proteins and possible protection against Alzheimer’s, leading to talk of saunas.
- Overall sentiment: interesting mechanistic clue reinforcing that some forms of mechanical loading/exercise are beneficial, but far from a proven human anti-aging therapy.