Female fruit flies receive sex peptide from males during mating and previous research has shown that the molecule causes inflammation and reduces the health and lifespan of female flies. “In the fly, mifepristone decreases reproduction, alters innate immune response and increases life span,” Tower said. “In the human, we know that mifepristone decreases reproduction and alters innate immune response, so might it also increase life span?” Tower was quoted as saying by News Medical, an open-access medical and life science hub. They found that a molecule called juvenile hormone, which regulates the development of fruit flies throughout their life, from egg to larvae to adult, plays a central role. He said the fact that mifepristone can increase lifespan in both species suggests the mechanism is important to many species.

Source: Hindustan Times July 12, 2020 06:03 UTC