# Insulin/IGF-1 pathway

The insulin/IGF-1 pathway (often shortened to IIS) is one of your body's main nutrient sensors. When insulin and IGF-1 (a growth hormone) latch onto their receptors, they switch on a chain of signals (PI3K, AKT, and mTOR) and switch off a protective factor called FOXO. The net effect: your cells take up glucose, grow, and build, in step with how much food is around. Here is the twist longevity researchers love. Turning this pathway down extends lifespan dramatically in worms (the famous daf-2 mutants), flies, and mice. That makes IIS one of the most fundamental longevity pathways across the whole animal kingdom.

## Sources

- Kenyon C, Chang J, Gensch E, Rudner A, Tabtiang R. (1993). A C. elegans mutant that lives twice as long as wild type. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/366461a0
- Taguchi A, White MF. (2008). Insulin-like signaling, nutrient homeostasis, and life span. Annual Review of Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.physiol.70.113006.100533

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/insulin-igf-1-pathway · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_