Small fish can show how to slow down aging

The African killer fish, which is popular to have in aquariums, has an expected life of around four to six months as an adult fish. As an embryo, however, it possesses the ability to pause its own development for several months or even years. The condition is called diapause, and scientists believe that the trait has emerged so that the species will survive under extreme circumstances, such as periods of drought.

The condition arises by the fact that the fish deactivates certain genes that, among other things, control the combustion and cell renewal. The research has long known about the fish's ability to do this, but now a group of scientists at the University of Stanford has also identified a specific protein that controls how the genes behave during the process.

The researchers also discovered in their study that the diapause did not seem to affect the fish's development afterwards - whether in terms of life, fertility or size. Which indicates that the influence of time on the cells and the tissue itself was abrogated during the condition.

"Nature has found a way to pause the clock," said Anne Brunet, one of the authors of the study published in the journal Science, to the Independent.

The researchers now hope that further studies can show how aging could be delayed even in humans.