Scientists Discover a Gene That Keeps You Younger — but It Comes With a Cost

Scientists have identified a gene that helps regulate a striking biological trade-off between rapid development and longer life. The findings involve vgll3, a gene whose activity influences growth, sexual maturity, cell division and age-related disease.

The study does not show that people possess a switch that literally preserves youth. Researchers altered the gene in African turquoise killifish, causing some animals to grow and mature faster—but later develop more cancer and die sooner.