Journal ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Apr 2026
Stress Response Trade-Off: Less ATF4 Activity May Extend Lifespan in Flies
Key Insight
This study suggests stress response pathways may help or harm lifespan depending on how active they are.
Scientists used to think turning on the body's stress response made organisms live longer. But in fruit flies, the opposite was true. When researchers dialed down a key stress pathway called GCN2-ATF4, flies lived longer. Cranking it up shortened their lives. This complicates the popular idea that all forms of cellular stress activation are good for aging.
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