Study of World's Oldest Woman Reveals Aging and Youth Coexist in Extreme Longevity

Geneva, Switzerland – September 11, 2026

A groundbreaking multi-omics study of Maria Branyas, who lived to 117 years and 168 days, reveals that extreme longevity may involve a fascinating biological duality: the simultaneous presence of signals of intense aging and powerful protective mechanisms working side by side.

The final peer-reviewed results, published today in Cell Reports Medicine, represent the most comprehensive biological investigation ever conducted on a supercentenarian. The research, led by Dr. Manel Esteller at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Barcelona, used minimally invasive sampling to examine Branyas's biology across genomic, proteomic, epigenomic, metabolomic, and microbiomic layers.

Branyas, who died in August 2024, was the world's oldest verified living person from January 2023 until her death. Born in San Francisco in 1907 to Catalan immigrant parents, she lived through two world wars, the 1918 influenza pandemic, the Spanish Civil War, and COVID-19. What makes her case unique for researchers is that she avoided all major chronic diseases, offering scientists a rare window into the biology of aging itself, separate from the illness that typically accompanies extreme old age.

A Duality of Aging and Protection

Rather than discovering that Branyas had aged uniformly slowly, researchers uncovered a far more complex biological picture. Some aspects of her biology clearly reflected her extraordinary chronological age. Her telomeres—the protective caps at chromosome ends—were very short, consistent with her 117 years. Her immune system showed pro-inflammatory features characteristic of advanced age, and her B lymphocyte population had aged significantly.

At the same time, other biological features appeared unusually protective. She carried genetic variants associated with neuroprotection and cardioprotection. Her inflammatory markers remained exceptionally low despite her age. Her gut microbiome was dominated by beneficial Bifidobacterium species, bacteria that typically decline with age and are rarely found at significant levels in people past 110 years old.

"The finding is not that she aged slowly. It is that markers of advanced decay and markers of youth were present in the same body at the same time," said Dr. Esteller, head of the Cancer Epigenetics group at the Josep Carreras Institute and co-senior author of the study.

Methodology: A First-of-Its-Kind Multi-Omics Approach

The study's unprecedented scope came from analyzing multiple biological systems in parallel. Before Branyas's death in 2024, she consented to extensive biomarker collection through minimally invasive techniques. Blood, saliva, urine, and stool samples were processed through an international collaboration coordinated by the Josep Carreras Institute, with Eloy Santos leading the analysis work.

The multi-omics pipeline examined six distinct biological layers: the genome for inherited variants, the proteome for protein expression, the epigenome for DNA methylation patterns, the metabolome for chemical products of cellular processes, the transcriptome for gene expression, and the microbiome for gut bacterial communities. This comprehensive approach had never been applied to a supercentenarian before.

The team used half a dozen different epigenetic clocks—algorithms that estimate biological age from DNA methylation patterns at specific genomic sites. None of these clocks could predict Branyas's chronological age. The average across methods placed her biological age roughly 23 years younger than her actual age, a gap rarely seen even in healthy middle-aged adults.

"She had a very powerful immune system, very good defense cells," Esteller explained in a separate interview. "They were still very efficient at attacking microorganisms, but at the same time, they didn't attack her own tissues. That is, they didn't induce the inflammation so typical of autoimmune diseases."

Implications for Understanding Age-Related Disease

The findings have implications that extend beyond basic longevity research. Aging in the blood-forming system is closely associated with increased risk of serious blood cancers, including leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Understanding how Branyas maintained health despite clear hematological aging markers could inform prevention and treatment approaches for older patients.

The study also clarifies the relationship between telomere length and health outcomes. Telomeres shortened to levels expected for her age, yet she remained free from age-related diseases. This suggests telomere length may serve as a stopwatch for chronological time rather than a direct indicator of health status.

"This allows us to deduce that telomeres indicate the passage of time, but not the poor health associated with the passage of time," Esteller emphasized.

The research team also notes that Branyas's gut microbiome contained high levels of Bifidobacterium, which has been associated with anti-inflammatory effects and healthy metabolism in other studies. Branyas reportedly consumed three yogurts daily, and the researchers have discussed possible links between dairy intake, gut bacteria, and longevity. However, they caution that the cross-sectional nature of the sampling cannot establish causality.

Limitations and Future Directions

The authors acknowledge important limitations. Because the analysis involved a single individual, findings cannot be extrapolated to broader populations. The study relied on bulk tissue analysis rather than single-cell resolution, which the researchers identify as the obvious next step. Additionally, the sampling captured snapshots near the end of Branyas's life rather than a longitudinal trajectory across decades.

Richard Faragher, a biogerontologist at the University of Brighton, who was not involved in the study, has raised a specific concern: establishing that Branyas's longevity involved more than chance would require evidence that other family members also lived exceptionally long lives. Branyas herself attributed her longevity to luck and good genetics.

Despite these limitations, the study provides a detailed biological reference point for researchers investigating aging. As life expectancy in developed countries may be plateauing, understanding the mechanisms that allow some individuals to avoid disease despite extreme age becomes increasingly important for public health planning.

The research received public funding from the Generalitat de Catalunya, the European Community, and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Private support came from the la Caixa Foundation, the Cellex Foundation, the Spanish Association Against Cancer, and the John and Lucille Van Geest Foundation.

Separating Aging From Disease

One of the most significant aspects of this research is that it allows scientists to clearly distinguish the biological effects of aging from those of disease. Previous studies of extreme longevity have often been confounded by chronic conditions. Branyas's lack of serious illness provides a clean reference point for understanding what aging itself does to the human body.

This distinction becomes increasingly relevant as researchers explore epigenetic therapies and senolytic drugs—interventions originally developed for oncology that may also target aging biology. Some scientists hope that clearer understanding of aging could lead to strategies that target it directly, much as modern medicine targets specific diseases.

It remains uncertain whether such approaches could eventually extend healthy human life. But if life expectancy has truly reached a plateau, therapies aimed at the biology of aging itself could become one path scientists explore to push that limit higher.

Sources:

• Cell Reports Medicine, September 11, 2026. Eloy Santos-Pujol et al., "The multiomics blueprint of the individual with the most extreme lifespan." DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102368

• Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, September 11, 2026. Press release: "Scientists find signs of extreme aging and youth in the same 117-year-old."

• ScienceDaily, September 11, 2026. "Scientists find signs of extreme aging and youth in the same 117-year-old."

• Futura-Sciences, September 11, 2026. "She Lived To 117. Researchers Have Now Found What Made Her Cells Age Differently."

• The El País, September 24, 2025. "The secrets to longevity of Catalan woman who died at 117: Study me, learn from me."