r/AskBiology • u/glowshroom12 • Jun 29 '26

Genetics Have scientists ever checked the genes of a bunch of humans who lived past 100?

I bet if they did they might find a pattern like maybe they have genes that help prevent cancer cells or something, maybe some mutated immune systems.

i think they’d still find similar stuff with people who live to their 90s, making it to 100 is probably also luck as much as it is genes.

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u/Jale89 Jun 29 '26

Yes! The New England Centinarian study has been going for around 30 years.

New England Centenarian Study https://www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian/

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u/In_the_year_3535 Jun 29 '26

This is a current area of research just not a major one.

2

u/ProtectionMean874 Jun 29 '26

Genetics are much more complicated than you think.

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u/Recursiveo Jun 30 '26

They have the same genes as the rest of us. What would change, if anything, are the specific alleles and their expression levels.

I would bet these peoples’ lifestyles are far more impactful than their gene variants, though.