Recently, a research team led by Prof. XU An at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has demonstrated that the magnetotactic bacterium (MTB) Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 (AMB-1) extended healthy organismal lifespan in the Caenorhabditis elegans model, and uncovered the core mechanism underlying this longevity effect — ferroptosis inhibition.
The relevant findings were published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
Aging is associated with gradual decline in physiological functions and increased risk of chronic diseases. Although existing anti-aging strategies based on drugs and genetic regulation have shown potential, their safety and clinical application remain challenging. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), which contain unique intracellular magnetosomes and show good biocompatibility, have been widely studied in areas such as drug delivery and cancer therapy. However, their role in regulating aging has remained largely unknown.
Using the C. elegans model, the researchers investigated the effects of MTB strain AMB-1 on lifespan and aging-related functions. The results showed that AMB-1 treatment extended the average lifespan of worms by 43.39%, while also improving neurological function and maintaining intestinal integrity in aged worms.
Further analysis showed that the capability of magnetosome biosynthesis, played an important role in the lifespan-extending effect. Wild-type AMB-1 outperformed reversibly non-magnetotactic RNM-AMB-1, while non-magnetotactic NM-AMB-1 had no lifespan-extending activity.
The researchers further found that AMB-1 reduced iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation levels in worms, thereby suppressing aging-related ferroptosis. Genetic analyses showed that ferroptosis-related pathways, including the genes ftn-1, bli-3, and ads-1, are involved in AMB-1-mediated lifespan regulation.
These findings established a novel microbial anti-aging intervention strategy and provided foundational evidence for expanding MTB applications in geriatric medicine, according to the team.
AMB-1 significantly extended the healthy lifespan of C. elegans by inhibiting ferroptosis. (Image by LIU Yun)