Kenyon's daf-2 and the First Life-Extension Pathway
Cynthia Kenyon's daf-2 work helped define insulin/IGF-1 signaling as the first life-extension pathway; in the knowledge graph her node connects to eight related terms and four projects investigating IIS.
The daf-2 work in C. elegans established insulin/IGF-1 signaling as the first pathway shown to extend lifespan.
Insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) is a conserved nutrient- and growth-factor pathway governing metabolism, growth, stress responses, and longevity. Exceptional-longevity cohorts carry rare IGF-1 coding variants that reduce IGF-1R activity or circulating IGF-1, proposed to contribute to their longevity. The pathway matters for humans too.
In the knowledge graph, Cynthia Kenyon (impact score: 45) connects to eight terms: FOXO, mTOR, AMPK, NRF2, UPR (unfolded protein response), apoptosis, fasting-mimicking diet, and epigenetic rejuvenation. Our hypothesis: the eight cluster around nutrient sensing and stress response. Four projects (Omega-Point, OpenDrugs, First Approval, Frontier Bio) investigate the same pathway.
Cynthia Kenyon · Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling
This edge combines a historically singular claim in aging biology (IIS as the first genetically defined life-extension pathway) with structural centrality in the graph: IIS sits upstream of seven of Kenyon's eight other term-connections, making it the hub of her entire public profile rather than an isolated data point.