GH/IGF-I/insulin system in centenarians.

The endocrine system plays a major role in the regulation of several biological activity and in the ageing process. Evolutionary conservation of GH/IGF-I/insulin pathway from worms to mice and similarities in this system between mice and humans raised expectations that downregulated activity of the GH/IGF-I/insulin pathway could be beneficial for the extension of human life span. Centenarians represent the best example of successful ageing having reached the very extremes of the human life span, escaping and delaying the occurrence of several fatal age-related diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This review describes the endocrine profile of centenarians concerning the GH/IGF-I/insulin system, focusing on the relevance of this pathway on the modulation of ageing and longevity.