Why fasting worms age slowly

摘要

Whether prolonged dietary restriction can extend human life remains controversial. But this matter has been settled in the case of some invertebrates, including the widely investigated nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A study by Lucanic et al. on page 226 of this issue now suggests that decreased signalling by small lipids called N-acylethanolamines is responsible for the lifespan-extending effects of dietary restriction in C. elegans.