Brazil emerged as an unexpected scenario for studying extreme longevity.
Currently, the South American country hosts a surprising number of people who have surpassed 110 years, despite not appearing in the classic life expectancy rankings.
A recent study published in Genomic Psychiatry placed Brazil in a unique position within research on extreme longevity.
The work, led by geneticist Mayana Zatz from the Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center at the University of São Paulo, gathered data from more than 160 centenarians.
Among them stood out sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, recognized as the oldest person in the world until her death in April 2025 at 116 years.
The cohort also included two of the oldest men on the planet.
Scientists discover unique mechanisms of extreme longevity in Brazil (Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center at the University of São Paulo).
The genetic diversity of Brazil, a key factor in extreme longevity
The exceptional genetic diversity of Brazil proved fundamental to explaining this phenomenon.
The Brazilian population is the result of a complex demographic history that began with Portuguese colonization in 1500.
It continued with the forced arrival of nearly four million enslaved Africans.
Then, it expanded with subsequent waves of European and Japanese immigration, leading to an extraordinarily mixed population.
A genomic study of more than 1000 Brazilians over 60 years old revealed 2 million new genetic variants.
More recently, over 8 million genomic variants not described in the Brazilian population were identified.
“This gap is especially limiting in research on extreme longevity, where mixed supercentenarians may harbor unique protective variants invisible in more genetically homogeneous populations,” explained Mateus Vidigal de Castro, first author of the article.
The key: exceptional biological characteristics
The Brazilian supercentenarians exhibited notable biological differences compared to the rest of the population. Their cellular mechanisms showed surprising preservation capabilities:
Lymphocytes
with proteasomal activity comparable to much younger people
Active
autophagy mechanisms
that effectively eliminate damaged proteins
Unusual expansion
of CD4+ T cells with cytotoxic functions
Rare variants
in key immune system genes
116 years
proteostasis