Prof. Kim presents publicly for the first time results from his lab: two newly discovered genetic variants present almost exclusively in supercentenarians may give clues that lead to therapies allowing all of us to have clean arteries and sharp minds at 110 years of age.

1. Whole Genome Sequencing of
the World’s Oldest People
Stuart Kim Lab, Stanford University
Stephen Coles, GRG & Leroy Hood, ISB

2. World’s Oldest Human
Jeanne Calment
of Arles, France
1875-1997
122 yrs

3. Longevity is Heritable
From Gross L., 2006

4. There are only 17 Supercentenarians
alive in the US today.
10,000,000,000
1,000,000,000 313,000,000
100,000,000
Number of people
10,000,000
1,000,000
70,000
100,000
10,000
1,000
100 17
10
US Centenarians Supercentenarians
Source: Gerontology Research Grouphttp://www.grg.org/Adams/E.HTM

5. Life expectancy of supercentenarian
siblings is 8-14 years above average.
85
Supercentenarian
Sibling
Average age at death
80
US cohort
75
Swedish cohort
70
65
60
Male Female
Adapted from Perls et al. 2007

6. Whole Genome Sequencing of the
World’s Oldest People
Gerontology Research Group
Dr. Kristen Fortney Dr. Hinco Gierman Dr. L. Stephen Coles
Dr. Lee Hood

7. Identify genes that have mutations in
supercentenarians

8. Two genes are significant

9. Gene B mutations in
supercentenarians
7 mutations/17 supercentenarians
30 mutations/4300 control genomes
P < .005 (Bonferroni corrected)

10. A gene for human longevity?

11. Acknowledgments
Gerontology
Research
Group
Dr. Kristen Fortney Dr. Hinco Gierman Dr. L. Stephen Coles Dr. Lee Hood