Cold muscles, longer lives: scientists find the hidden pathway that turns a chill into time

Why do so many species live longer in the cold? A team led by molecular biologist David Vilchez at the University of Cologne has found part of the machinery. In the tiny worm C. elegans, mildly cold temperatures switch on an enzyme in muscle that produces a small molecule called BH2; the molecule travels to other tissues, where it helps keep proteins tidy and healthy — and the worms lived about 15% longer. Blocking the pathway erased the benefit, and boosting it extended life even at warm temperatures. In human cell models of Huntington's disease and ALS, the same molecules reduced harmful protein clumps. Published in Nature, the work is worm-and-cell science, not a human treatment — but it shows cold's gift is an active programme the body runs, not just a slowdown.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation