What does a 4,000-year-old tree have in common with a potentially immortal jellyfish? Quite a lot, according to a sweeping new review published in Aging. Researchers from Greece's Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas examined molecular and cellular data from 101 multicellular species — 90 plants and 11 animals — with maximum lifespans of at least 250 years, including organisms like Turritopsis dohrnii (the "immortal jellyfish") and Ginkgo biloba.

Rather than a single longevity switch, the review found that extreme lifespans arise from overlapping biological strategies: robust DNA maintenance, resistance to cellular stress, preserved stem-cell populations, and mechanisms that suppress tumor development. Notably, telomere length and metabolic rate alone don't explain lifespan differences — longevity is far more complex.

Key Takeaways:

• "Living young appears to be a strategy of living long" — long-lived species preserve traits typical of early developmental stages and germ cells
• Cancer appears surprisingly rare in many long-lived species despite extensive cell renewal, pointing to powerful anticancer adaptations
• Environmental factors such as temperature and ecological pressures interact with molecular pathways, making it difficult to generalize findings across species

Why it matters: While these findings don't yet translate directly to human therapies, they map out promising biological pathways — DNA repair, stemness, stress resistance — that could guide future research into healthy aging and age-related disease prevention.