A new research has found that blocking the natural protein that transports fats within the body may help slow down ageing and hence increase lifespan.

The study, conducted by the researchers at the Brown University in Rhode Island, US, has found that naturally occurring fat carrying proteins also affect the essential function of the cells that increase lifespan. The researchers believe that blocking such proteins in the body may help prevent age-related diseases and disorders.

In the study, the researchers clocked the production of yolk lipoprotein called vitellogenin (VIT) in nematode worms. The team discovered that blocking the protein increased the lifespan of the worms by almost 40 percent.

Other mammals, mice and humans produce VIT's evolutionary cousin, a protein called apolipoprotein B (apoB). Therapies have already been developed in the past to reduce apoB to prevent cardiovascular risk, reports the Economic Times.

The recent research has revealed that the ability of the cells to utilise or remodel fats for healthier purpose is hindered by VIT in nematodes.

"That protein, which has an ortholog in humans, is a major decider of what happens to fat inside intestinal cells," said study's senior author, Louis Lapierre, in a press statement. "If you reduce the production of these lipoproteins you allow the fat to be reused in different ways."

Lipophagy – a process to break down deposited fat and use them for healthier reasons in the body – greatly enhances the lifespan of an individual. The recent study suggests that the presence of too much VIT or its ortholog, apoB, hinders the longevity benefits associated with lipophagy.

The complete details of the study have been published in the journal Autophagy.

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