Aric Rogers, Ph.D., of the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, studies the molecular mechanisms underlying aging in the roundworm, C. elegans. Credit: MDI Biological Laboratory
Scientists have known for decades that drastically restricting certain nutrients without causing malnutrition prolongs health and lifespan in a wide range of species, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect have remained a mystery.
In a paper recently published in the journal Aging Cell, MDI Biological Laboratory scientist Aric Rogers, Ph.D., sheds light on an important genetic pathway underlying this process, raising the possibility that therapies can be developed that prolong the healthy years without having to suffering the consequences of a severely restricted diet.
"It's tantalizing to think that we might be able to activate a protective response to enhance our own health without resorting to extreme dietary regimes," Rogers said.
Rogers studies mechanisms important to the positive effects of dietary restriction in an intact organism—the tiny roundworm, C. elegans—as opposed to cells in a petri dish. C. elegans is an important model in aging research because it shares nearly half of its genes with humans and because of its short lifespan—it lives for only two to three weeks—which allows scientists to study many generations over a short period of time.
"Aric's identification of a molecular mechanism governing the life-prolonging effects of dietary restriction is a validation of our unique approach to research in aging and regenerative biology," said Kevin Strange, Ph.D., president of the MDI Biological Laboratory. "Our use of whole organisms as research models provides greater insight into the many factors controlling physiological processes than the use of cells alone."
Rogers studies the molecular mechanisms underlying aging at the MDI Biological Laboratory's Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine. The laboratory is an independent, non-profit biomedical research institution located in Bar Harbor, Maine, focused on increasing healthy lifespan and increasing the body's natural ability to repair and regenerate tissues damaged by injury or disease.
The life-prolonging effects of dietary restriction, also known as DR or CR (calorie restriction), occur in just about every animal tested. They are thought to be an evolutionary adaptation to harsh environmental conditions. In the absence of enough food to eat, evolution has programmed organisms to switch from a growth mode to a survival mode so they can live long enough to reproduce when conditions improve.
Scientists have known for decades that drastically restricting certain nutrients without causing malnutrition prolongs health and lifespan in a wide range of species, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect have remained a mystery.In a paper recently published in the journal Aging Cell, MDI Biological Laboratory scientist Aric Rogers, Ph.D., sheds light on an important genetic pathway underlying this process, raising the possibility that therapies can be developed to prolong healthy human lifespan. Credit: MDI Biological Laboratory
Provided by: Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-02-mechanisms-underlying-aging.html
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