In a recent issue of Biogenrontology Lynne Cox writes an article summarizing a conference on senescence research held in Oriel College, Oxford, UK. The conference only occurs once every decade, so this article provides an interesting background of progress made in aging since 1998, and also showcases the latest senescence research out of Europe.
Most striking to me in the article was the discovery of the genetic mutation
leading to human premature ageing Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome. Indeed, this syndrome must provide some clues into normal human aging, as Cox writes:
However, the lessons from HGPS are likely to extend
widely to normal ageing. For example, Scaffidi and
Misteli have proposed that accumulation of progerin
in normal individuals may be associated with physiological
ageing (Scaffidi and Misteli 2006).
Moving on to another disease of premature aging, Werner Syndrome, David Kipling at Cardiff University has done some interesting work showing the p38 MAP kinase inhibitors can reverse the WS senescent phenotype in vitro.
The conference and the paper covered much more than just developments in these progeriod syndromes, and other topics included detection of senescent cells, DNA stability (including telomere maintenance, DNA repair and nuclear integrity), the IGF axis, and p38 MAPK stress signalling and developmental switches Notch and Wnt.
The full paper can be found here.
Tags: conferences, europe, hutchinson-gilford syndrome, senescence, werner syndrome
This is a question that I have been stuck on for quite some time. When does aging turn from development into detriment? When does aging start becoming a disease?
In an attempt to answer this question, I am going to take on the task to develop a human life history timeline, that some people have been searching for when they stumbled upon the science of aging timeline.
I think I am going to start with the gametes and go from there, using this wikipedia article as my start guide. Would be happy for any more resources if anyone has them.
It also occurs to me now that it would be fun to do a cell life cycle timeline as well…though cell fates can be quite different…
Writing an article of foods high in vitamin K today I stumbled upon some interesting facts about proteins vitamin K regulates:
The bone Gla-protein osteocalcin, the calcification inhibiting matrix gla protein (MGP), the cell growth regulating growth arrest specific gene 6 protein (Gas6), and the four transmembrane Gla proteins (TMGPs) the function of which is at present unknown. Gas6 can function as a growth factor that activates the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase and stimulates cell proliferation or prevents apoptosis in some cells.
The key line in that paragraph that struck me is the part about preventing apoptosis, which lead me to ask: Is aging caused primarily by the failure of the body to kill old cells? A failure to properly activate apoptosis?
According to this other excerpt in wikipedia, it is in fact the increase and resultant apoptosis gone wild that might contribute to aging:
Apoptosis is responsible for killing infected cells, cancerous cells and cells that are simply in the wrong place during development. There are clear benefits to apoptosis, so the existence of apoptosis isn’t a problem for evolutionary theory. The problem is that apoptosis seems to ramp up late in life and kill healthy cells, causing weakness and degeneration.
If this is the case, then it would appear to me to suggest that vitamin K, the apoptosis suppressor, is probably a healthy thing to eat to prevent aging. Not to mention the fact that it is found in all those dark leafy greens, long known for their health benefits.
Interestingly, there is another excerpt on the vitamin’s antioxidant abilities to help protect against death of nerve cells:
Research into the antioxidant properties of vitamin K indicates that the concentration of vitamin K is lower in the circulation of carriers of the APOE4 gene and recent studies have shown its ability to inhibit cell death due to oxidation in nerve cells. It has been hypothesized that vitamin K may exude an effect on neuronal damage and that supplementation may hold benefits to treating this disease, although more research is necessary in this area.
And cancer too? YES! Of course cancer too.
At the same time researchers in Japan were studying the role of vitamin K2 in the prevention of bone loss in females with liver disease, they discovered another possible effect of this phytonutrient. This two year study which involved 21 women with viral liver cirrhosis found that women in the supplement group were 90 percent less likely to develop liver cancer. A German study performed on men with prostate cancer found a significant inverse relationship between vitamin K2 consumption and advanced prostate cancer.
Thus vitamin K is involved in blood coagulation, preventing cell death (apoptosis), and preventing cell proliferation (cancer), making it the official cell regulator*.
*Is not actually official.
For more on vitamin K and osteoporosis, check on this post on the HealthAliciousNess blog.
Tags: apoptosis, cell regulation, nutrition
Of all the wild chimeras which have in all ages haunted the minds of fantastic dreamers none has taken so great a hold on its votaries, as the search for the Elixir Vitae or means of prolonging human life beyond its allotted span.
So starts the introduction to the Hermippus Redivivus. An 1885 book written by the obscure German intellectual, John Henry Cohausen. Only 350 copies where privately printed in Edinburgh, one of which got sent to Harvard University and is now digitized and available to the world through Google books.
The work is edited by Edmund Goldsmith of who the above quote is attributed, and was penned with good reason given the obscure nature of the work.
Cohausen himself is drawing deep on obscure work to create his work. Digging all the way back to Roman times in which remains an inscription that tells of a man, L. Clodius Hermippus, who lived to the age of 115 years by breathing in the breath of young women. In this case, young can be taken to mean children, and whether or not it was purely women is contested…in case anyone decides to try this at home.
According to a review of the work written by Sabine Baring-Gould in his book Curiosities of Olden Times Cohausen covers in great detail of how much salubrious “young” air would be needed to prolong life, and how the myth might have been manufactured from the viewing of mouth to mouth resuscitation of an old woman by a young lady.
It should be noted that as the story goes with the Roman, Clodius Hermippus, he probably had no such intimate relations, but more just surrounded himself with children so as to breathe in their air.
Cohausen takes things a step further, suggesting the need for direct mouth to mouth resuscitation, and even suggesting the possibility of distilling a young woman’s breath into a potent elixir of youth.
As charming and pleasingly logical the notion is, the idea today, alas, is considered as nothing more than hot air.
Tags: history, science fiction
Welcome to Green Light Go, a blog dedicated to the science of aging and rejuvination. A place to generate discussion and cover important events in the sciences both historical and current.
Topics will include:
- Discussing and understanding key literature in aging and rejuvenation
- Reviewing and rating current universities, institutions, and corporations involved in research
- Presenting the best of other blogs on the science of aging and rejuvenation
- Hosting blog carnivals whenever applicable
- Understanding the social implications of extending youth
This is just the start, and I look forward to hearing your comments on Green Light Go.
Nothing can stop us now.
