Axolotls Halt Aging? Discover Their Secret

How do axolotls stop the aging process? In this video Insoo Hyun, Bioethicist and Director of the Center for Life Sciences at the Museum of Science, describes how axolotls are known for their amazing ability to regenerate lost limbs. But they also have another incredible skill: the ability to stop aging. When axolotls are four years old, they turn off their epigenetic clock, which determines an animal’s biological age based on how life events like stress or diet turn certain genes on or off. Ultimately, these amphibians can live to be 21 years old, so this is quite a feat! Researchers are studying these amazing creatures in hopes of gaining insights to improve human health.