The complete DNA sequence of a woman who lived 115 years has been deciphered by European scientists . The old woman, whom scientists call W115, was the oldest in the world at the time of her death, but she possessed the mind of someone several decades younger and no signs of dementia.
The old woman donated her body to science, allowing doctors to examine her brain and other organs, as well as her entire genetic code. The results of the study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG) in Canada and led by the Dutch Henne Holstege, suggest that she possessed genes that protected her from dementia , and could help to explain why some people are born with a genetic predisposition to long life, as the scientist has assured the BBC.
W115 was a premature baby and was not expected to survive. But, against all expectations, she led a healthy life and only went to a nursing home when she turned 105. She eventually died of a stomach tumor, having been successfully treated for breast cancer at age 100.
As if that were not enough, a test of her mental abilities at the age of 113 showed that she had the capabilities of a woman between 60 and 75 years old. Later, in a post-mortem exam, doctors found no evidence of dementia or cardiovascular problems.
Now his genetic map has been made available to other researchers.
