Taurine triggers anti-aging effect in freshwater polyps

Taurine can reverse signs of aging in freshwater polyps, according to research by a team at the University of Innsbruck, reported by ORF. The findings could also help researchers study aging in humans.

Hydras are small stinging animals found in freshwater, including streams and lakes. Under constant conditions, they may be almost immortal, producing new animals by budding. When environmental conditions deteriorate, however, some hydras switch to sexual reproduction.

In the species Hydra oligactis, cold can trigger that switch. The animals produce sperm or egg cells, while the parent animals lose their apparent immortality. Researchers led by biologists Nicki Marami-Zonouz and Ilse Kranner found that taurine levels fell as the animals underwent this change.

Adding taurine set an anti-aging process in motion and reversed the switch to sexual reproduction, the report said. Taurine is also a substance needed by humans.

Although hydras have a simple body structure and a limited number of cell types, they share much of their genetic makeup with vertebrates. Researchers therefore use them as a model for studying basic mechanisms of aging.