For Erna Rosenberg, it's a mystery what's led to her long life.

Now a group of scientists are hoping that Rosenberg's DNA, along with that of other centenerians, holds clues to solving that mystery.

Rosenberg, who turned 100 in July, is one of about 100 with at least a century of life experience including the oldest person in the world 115-year-old Besse Cooper - who have donated samples of their DNA to scientists competing in the $10 million Archon Genomics X prize competition by Medco, a New Jersey-based health care and research company.

I think its a family thing. But I have no one to ask now, Rosenberg said in her Lasell Village apartment in Auburndale. I dont really know, but Im here and thats amazing.

The New York City-born Rosenberg has never had cancer or fought off any other life-threatening diseases. She lived most of the ten decades of her life without suffering any serious illnesses, but was recently diagnosed with a heart valve problem and uses an oxygen tube to help with her breathing.

The curly white-haired lady suspects that her longevity is due to good genes on her mothers side of the family. Her mother lived into her late 80s, Rosenberg said. Her father died in his 70s of heart problems, she said.

My sister, the one who committed suicide, she wouldve had those genes too, Rosenberg said. Then I have a niece who is my sisters daughter. Shes 70 now and shes in perfect health and we laugh about it.

Grant Campany, senior director and prize lead of Archon Genomics, said when the 100 human genomes are sequenced the information will be provided to researchers around the world with the hope that it improves the practice of medicine.

Theres a lot of inefficiencies in how medicine is currently practiced, he said. Medicine is really practiced through trial and error. Basically, you get a physician asking you a series of questions. In most cases, when they do make a diagnosis, they prescribe you a medication and often times those arent effective.

But Campany said creating a genetic sequence could help change the future of medicine by helping patients understand the best course of treatment.

View original post here:
Auburndale centenarian donates DNA to study