New Scientist reports on geneticists who might have isolated the specific genes for longevity:
[T]he [Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University] team… identified the two gene mutations in centenarians of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
Both mutations affect the receptor for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), a driver of bodily growth and maturity, especially during puberty. By making the receptor slightly faulty, the mutations may disrupt IGF1 binding and decelerate the process of maturation and ageing.
…
Similar mutations affect longevity in worms, flies, yeast and mice.
Apparently, the carriers are all women slightly shorter than average.