In a study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, a team led by Prof. XU An from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 (AMB-1) extends healthy organismal lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans model, and revealed the mechanism underlying this longevity effect: ferroptosis inhibition.

Aging is associated with gradual decline in physiological functions and increased risk of chronic diseases. Many anti-aging strategies based on drugs and genetic regulation have shown potential. MTB, which contain unique intracellular magnetosomes and show good biocompatibility, have been widely studied in drug delivery and cancer therapy, but their role in regulating aging remains largely unknown.

In this study, using Caenorhabditis elegans model, 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 improving neurological function and maintaining intestinal integrity in aged worms.

Besides, researchers found 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.

Furthermore, researchers 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, were involved in AMB-1-mediated lifespan regulation.

This study shows a novel microbial anti-aging intervention strategy, and provides evidence for expanding MTB applications in geriatric medicine.