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Chmielewski PP, Data K, Strzelec B, Farzaneh M, Anbiyaiee A, Zaheer U, Uddin S, Sheykhi-Sabzehpoush M, Mozdziak P, Zabel M, Dzięgiel P, Kempisty B. Human Aging and Age-Related Diseases: From Underlying Mechanisms to Pro-Longevity Interventions. Aging Dis 2024:AD.2024.0280. [PMID: 38913049 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2024.0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
As human life expectancy continues to rise, becoming a pressing global concern, it brings into focus the underlying mechanisms of aging. The increasing lifespan has led to a growing elderly population grappling with age-related diseases (ARDs), which strains healthcare systems and economies worldwide. While human senescence was once regarded as an immutable and inexorable phenomenon, impervious to interventions, the emerging field of geroscience now offers innovative approaches to aging, holding the promise of extending the period of healthspan in humans. Understanding the intricate links between aging and pathologies is essential in addressing the challenges presented by aging populations. A substantial body of evidence indicates shared mechanisms and pathways contributing to the development and progression of various ARDs. Consequently, novel interventions targeting the intrinsic mechanisms of aging have the potential to delay the onset of diverse pathological conditions, thereby extending healthspan. In this narrative review, we discuss the most promising methods and interventions aimed at modulating aging, which harbor the potential to mitigate ARDs in the future. We also outline the complexity of senescence and review recent empirical evidence to identify rational strategies for promoting healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Pawel Chmielewski
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Data
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Strzelec
- 2nd Department of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Medical University Hospital, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Maryam Farzaneh
- Fertility, Infertility and Perinatology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Amir Anbiyaiee
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Uzma Zaheer
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, The University of Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Institute and Dermatology Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biosciences, Integral University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Paul Mozdziak
- Graduate Physiology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Maciej Zabel
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
- Division of Anatomy and Histology, The University of Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Piotr Dzięgiel
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kempisty
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
- Department of Veterinary Surgery, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
- Physiology Graduate Faculty, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Center of Assisted Reproduction, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Miliotou E, de Lázaro I. A Youthful Touch: Reversal of Aging Hallmarks by Cell Reprogramming. Cells Tissues Organs 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38768583 DOI: 10.1159/000539415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the elderly population projected to double by 2050, there is an urgent need to address the increasing prevalence of age-related debilitating diseases and ultimately minimize discrepancies between the rising lifespan and stagnant health span. Cellular reprogramming by overexpression of Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2, and cMyc (OKSM) transcription factors is gaining attention in this context thanks to demonstrated rejuvenating effects in human cell cultures and live mice, many of which can be uncoupled from dedifferentiation and loss of cell identity. SUMMARY Here, we review current evidence of the impact of cell reprogramming on established aging hallmarks and the underlying mechanisms that mediate these effects. We also provide a critical assessment of the challenges in translating these findings and, overall, cell reprogramming technologies into clinically translatable antiaging interventions. KEY MESSAGES Cellular reprogramming has the potential to reverse at least partially some key hallmarks of aging. However, further research is necessary to determine the biological significance and duration of such changes and to ensure the safety of cell reprogramming as a rejuvenation approach. With this review, we hope to stimulate new research directions in the quest to extend health span effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Miliotou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Irene de Lázaro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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3
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Brandhorst S, Longo VD. Exploring juventology: unlocking the secrets of youthspan and longevity programs. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2024; 5:1379289. [PMID: 38638872 PMCID: PMC11024265 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2024.1379289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
In recent decades, the study of biological aging has evolved from simplistic theories like the free radical theory to more complex and nuanced perspectives. In particular, the identification of evolutionary conserved genes and signaling pathways that can modulate both lifespan but also healthspan has resulted in the expanding understanding of the link between nutrients, signal transduction proteins, and aging along with substantial support for the existence of multiple "longevity programs," which are activated based on the availability of nutrients. Periodic fasting and other dietary restrictions can promote entry into a longevity program characterized by cellular protection and optimized function, and the activation of regenerative processes that lead to rejuvenation. This review discusses the idea of juventology, a novel field proposing the existence of longevity programs that can maintain organisms in a highly functional state for extended periods of time. Drawing upon research on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other model organisms, the review explores the distinctiveness of juventology from traditional aging-centered views. The focus on the "age of youth" challenges conventional thinking and opens new avenues for understanding and extending the period of peak functionality in organisms. Thus, a "juventology"-based strategy can complement the traditional gerontology approach by focusing not on aging but on the longevity program affecting the life history period in which mortality is very low and organisms remain youthful, healthy, and fully functional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Brandhorst
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Longevity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Pandey T, Wang B, Wang C, Zu J, Deng H, Shen K, do Vale GD, McDonald JG, Ma DK. LPD-3 as a megaprotein brake for aging and insulin-mTOR signaling in C. elegans. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113899. [PMID: 38446666 PMCID: PMC11019932 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Insulin-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling drives anabolic growth during organismal development; its late-life dysregulation contributes to aging and limits lifespans. Age-related regulatory mechanisms and functional consequences of insulin-mTOR remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify LPD-3 as a megaprotein that orchestrates the tempo of insulin-mTOR signaling during C. elegans aging. We find that an agonist insulin, INS-7, is drastically overproduced from early life and shortens lifespan in lpd-3 mutants. LPD-3 forms a bridge-like tunnel megaprotein to facilitate non-vesicular cellular lipid trafficking. Lipidomic profiling reveals increased hexaceramide species in lpd-3 mutants, accompanied by up-regulation of hexaceramide biosynthetic enzymes, including HYL-1. Reducing the abundance of HYL-1, insulin receptor/DAF-2 or mTOR/LET-363, normalizes INS-7 levels and rescues the lifespan of lpd-3 mutants. LPD-3 antagonizes SINH-1, a key mTORC2 component, and decreases expression with age. We propose that LPD-3 acts as a megaprotein brake for organismal aging and that its age-dependent decline restricts lifespan through the sphingolipid-hexaceramide and insulin-mTOR pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taruna Pandey
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bingying Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Changnan Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jenny Zu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Huichao Deng
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kang Shen
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Goncalo Dias do Vale
- Center for Human Nutrition and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey G McDonald
- Center for Human Nutrition and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Dengke K Ma
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Mitteldorf J. Biological Clocks: Why We Need Them, Why We Cannot Trust Them, How They Might Be Improved. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:356-366. [PMID: 38622101 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924020135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Late in life, the body is at war with itself. There is a program of self-destruction (phenoptosis) implemented via epigenetic and other changes. I refer to these as type (1) epigenetic changes. But the body retains a deep instinct for survival, and other epigenetic changes unfold in response to a perception of accumulated damage (type (2)). In the past decade, epigenetic clocks have promised to accelerate the search for anti-aging interventions by permitting prompt, reliable, and convenient measurement of their effects on lifespan without having to wait for trial results on mortality and morbidity. However, extant clocks do not distinguish between type (1) and type (2). Reversing type (1) changes extends lifespan, but reversing type (2) shortens lifespan. This is why all extant epigenetic clocks may be misleading. Separation of type (1) and type (2) epigenetic changes will lead to more reliable clock algorithms, but this cannot be done with statistics alone. New experiments are proposed. Epigenetic changes are the means by which the body implements phenoptosis, but they do not embody a clock mechanism, so they cannot be the body's primary timekeeper. The timekeeping mechanism is not yet understood, though there are hints that it may be (partially) located in the hypothalamus. For the future, we expect that the most fundamental measurement of biological age will observe this clock directly, and the most profound anti-aging interventions will manipulate it.
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Barja G, Pamplona R. Introduction to special issue on 'physiological and evolutionary mechanisms of aging'. Exp Gerontol 2023; 184:112324. [PMID: 37939909 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Barja
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), E28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Reinald Pamplona
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida), E25198 Lleida, Spain.
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Szilágyi A, Czárán T, Santos M, Szathmáry E. Directional selection coupled with kin selection favors the establishment of senescence. BMC Biol 2023; 21:230. [PMID: 37867189 PMCID: PMC10591417 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01716-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conventional wisdom in evolutionary theory considers aging as a non-selected byproduct of natural selection. Based on this, conviction aging was regarded as an inevitable phenomenon. It was also thought that in the wild organisms tend to die from diseases, predation and other accidents before they could reach the time when senescence takes its course. Evidence has accumulated, however, that aging is not inevitable and there are organisms that show negative aging even. Furthermore, old age does play a role in the deaths of many different organisms in the wild also. The hypothesis of programmed aging posits that a limited lifespan can evolve as an adaptation (i.e., positively selected for) in its own right, partly because it can enhance evolvability by eliminating "outdated" genotypes. A major shortcoming of this idea is that non-aging sexual individuals that fail to pay the demographic cost of aging would be able to steal good genes by recombination from aging ones. RESULTS Here, we show by a spatially explicit, individual-based simulation model that aging can positively be selected for if a sufficient degree of kin selection complements directional selection. Under such conditions, senescence enhances evolvability because the rate of aging and the rate of recombination play complementary roles. The selected aging rate is highest at zero recombination (clonal reproduction). In our model, increasing extrinsic mortality favors evolved aging by making up free space, thereby decreasing competition and increasing drift, even when selection is stabilizing and the level of aging is set by mutation-selection balance. Importantly, higher extrinsic mortality is not a substitute for evolved aging under directional selection either. Reduction of relatedness decreases the evolved level of aging; chance relatedness favors non-aging genotypes. The applicability of our results depends on empirical values of directional and kin selection in the wild. CONCLUSIONS We found that aging can positively be selected for in a spatially explicit population model when sufficiently strong directional and kin selection prevail, even if reproduction is sexual. The view that there is a conceptual link between giving up clonal reproduction and evolving an aging genotype is supported by computational results.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Szilágyi
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Czárán
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mauro Santos
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Grup de Genòmica, Bioinformàtica i Biologia Evolutiva (GBBE), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Eörs Szathmáry
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary.
- Center for the Conceptual Foundations of Science, Parmenides Foundation, Pöcking, Germany.
- Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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Javali PS, Sekar M, Kumar A, Thirumurugan K. Dynamics of redox signaling in aging via autophagy, inflammation, and senescence. Biogerontology 2023; 24:663-678. [PMID: 37195483 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-023-10040-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Review paper attempts to explain the dynamic aspects of redox signaling in aging through autophagy, inflammation, and senescence. It begins with ROS source in the cell, then states redox signaling in autophagy, and regulation of autophagy in aging. Next, we discuss inflammation and redox signaling with various pathways involved: NOX pathway, ROS production via TNF-α, IL-1β, xanthine oxidase pathway, COX pathway, and myeloperoxidase pathway. Also, we emphasize oxidative damage as an aging marker and the contribution of pathophysiological factors to aging. In senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, we link ROS with senescence, aging disorders. Relevant crosstalk between autophagy, inflammation, and senescence using a balanced ROS level might reduce age-related disorders. Transducing the context-dependent signal communication among these three processes at high spatiotemporal resolution demands other tools like multi-omics aging biomarkers, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning. The bewildering advancement of technology in the above areas might progress age-related disorders diagnostics with precision and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashanth S Javali
- #412J, Structural Biology Lab, Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Mouliganesh Sekar
- #412J, Structural Biology Lab, Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Ashish Kumar
- #412J, Structural Biology Lab, Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Kavitha Thirumurugan
- #412J, Structural Biology Lab, Pearl Research Park, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
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Pandey T, Wang B, Wang C, Zu J, Deng H, Shen K, do Vale GD, McDonald JG, Ma DK. LPD-3 as a megaprotein brake for aging and insulin-mTOR signaling in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.14.528431. [PMID: 36824874 PMCID: PMC9949100 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.14.528431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Insulin-mTOR signaling drives anabolic growth during organismal development, while its late-life dysregulation may detrimentally contribute to aging and limit lifespans. Age-related regulatory mechanisms and functional consequences of insulin-mTOR remain incompletely understood. Here we identify LPD-3 as a megaprotein that orchestrates the tempo of insulin-mTOR signaling during C. elegans aging. We find that an agonist insulin INS-7 is drastically over-produced in early life and shortens lifespan in lpd-3 mutants, a C. elegans model of human Alkuraya-Kučinskas syndrome. LPD-3 forms a bridge-like tunnel megaprotein to facilitate phospholipid trafficking to plasma membranes. Lipidomic profiling reveals increased abundance of hexaceramide species in lpd-3 mutants, accompanied by up-regulation of hexaceramide biosynthetic enzymes, including HYL-1 (Homolog of Yeast Longevity). Reducing HYL-1 activity decreases INS-7 levels and rescues the lifespan of lpd-3 mutants through insulin receptor/DAF-2 and mTOR/LET-363. LPD3 antagonizes SINH-1, a key mTORC2 component, and decreases expression with age in wild type animals. We propose that LPD-3 acts as a megaprotein brake for aging and its age-dependent decline restricts lifespan through the sphingolipid-hexaceramide and insulin-mTOR pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taruna Pandey
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Bingying Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Changnan Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jenny Zu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Huichao Deng
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Kang Shen
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Goncalo Dias do Vale
- Center for Human Nutrition and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA
| | - Jeffrey G. McDonald
- Center for Human Nutrition and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA
| | - Dengke K. Ma
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Lathe R, St Clair D. Programmed ageing: decline of stem cell renewal, immunosenescence, and Alzheimer's disease. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023. [PMID: 37068798 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
The characteristic maximum lifespan varies enormously across animal species from a few hours to hundreds of years. This argues that maximum lifespan, and the ageing process that itself dictates lifespan, are to a large extent genetically determined. Although controversial, this is supported by firm evidence that semelparous species display evolutionarily programmed ageing in response to reproductive and environmental cues. Parabiosis experiments reveal that ageing is orchestrated systemically through the circulation, accompanied by programmed changes in hormone levels across a lifetime. This implies that, like the circadian and circannual clocks, there is a master 'clock of age' (circavital clock) located in the limbic brain of mammals that modulates systemic changes in growth factor and hormone secretion over the lifespan, as well as systemic alterations in gene expression as revealed by genomic methylation analysis. Studies on accelerated ageing in mice, as well as human longevity genes, converge on evolutionarily conserved fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors, including KLOTHO, as well as insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and steroid hormones, as key players mediating the systemic effects of ageing. Age-related changes in these and multiple other factors are inferred to cause a progressive decline in tissue maintenance through failure of stem cell replenishment. This most severely affects the immune system, which requires constant renewal from bone marrow stem cells. Age-related immune decline increases risk of infection whereas lifespan can be extended in germfree animals. This and other evidence suggests that infection is the major cause of death in higher organisms. Immune decline is also associated with age-related diseases. Taking the example of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we assess the evidence that AD is caused by immunosenescence and infection. The signature protein of AD brain, Aβ, is now known to be an antimicrobial peptide, and Aβ deposits in AD brain may be a response to infection rather than a cause of disease. Because some cognitively normal elderly individuals show extensive neuropathology, we argue that the location of the pathology is crucial - specifically, lesions to limbic brain are likely to accentuate immunosenescence, and could thus underlie a vicious cycle of accelerated immune decline and microbial proliferation that culminates in AD. This general model may extend to other age-related diseases, and we propose a general paradigm of organismal senescence in which declining stem cell proliferation leads to programmed immunosenescence and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Little France, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - David St Clair
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
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Pamplona R, Jové M, Gómez J, Barja G. Whole organism aging: Parabiosis, inflammaging, epigenetics, and peripheral and central aging clocks. The ARS of aging. Exp Gerontol 2023; 174:112137. [PMID: 36871903 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
The strong interest shown in the study of the causes of aging in recent decades has uncovered many mechanisms that could contribute to the rate of aging. These include mitochondrial ROS production, DNA modification and repair, lipid peroxidation-induced membrane fatty acid unsaturation, autophagy, telomere shortening rate, apoptosis, proteostasis, senescent cells, and most likely there are many others waiting to be discovered. However, all these well-known mechanisms work only or mainly at the cellular level. Although it is known that organs within a single individual do not age at exactly the same rate, there is a well-defined species longevity. Therefore, loose coordination of aging rate among the different cells and tissues is needed to ensure species lifespan. In this article we focus on less known extracellular, systemic, and whole organism level mechanisms that could loosely coordinate aging of the whole individual to keep it within the margins of its species longevity. We discuss heterochronic parabiosis experiments, systemic factors distributed through the vascular system like DAMPs, mitochondrial DNA and its fragments, TF-like vascular proteins, and inflammaging, as well as epigenetic and proposed aging clocks situated at different levels of organization from individual cells to the brain. These interorgan systems can help to determine species longevity as a further adaptation to the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinald Pamplona
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida), E25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Mariona Jové
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida (UdL), Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida), E25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - José Gómez
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, ESCET, Rey Juan Carlos University, E28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo Barja
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), E28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Abstract
Ageing is inherent to all human beings, yet why we age remains a hotly contested topic. Most mechanistic explanations of ageing posit that ageing is caused by the accumulation of one or more forms of molecular damage. Here, I propose that we age not because of inevitable damage to the hardware but rather because of intrinsic design flaws in the software, defined as the DNA code that orchestrates how a single cell develops into an adult organism. As the developmental software runs, its sequence of events is reflected in shifting cellular epigenetic states. Overall, I suggest that to understand ageing we need to decode our software and the flow of epigenetic information throughout the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Pedro de Magalhães
- Genomics of Ageing and Rejuvenation Lab, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2WB, UK.
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13
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Wang C, Long Y, Wang B, Zhang C, Ma DK. GPCR signaling regulates severe stress-induced organismic death in Caenorhabditis elegans. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13735. [PMID: 36415159 PMCID: PMC9835589 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
How an organism dies is a fundamental yet poorly understood question in biology. An organism can die of many causes, including stress-induced phenoptosis, also defined as organismic death that is regulated by its genome-encoded programs. The mechanism of stress-induced phenoptosis is still largely unknown. Here, we show that transient but severe freezing-thaw stress (FTS) in Caenorhabditis elegans induces rapid and robust phenoptosis that is regulated by G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. RNAi screens identify the GPCR-encoding fshr-1 in mediating transcriptional responses to FTS. FSHR-1 increases ligand interaction upon FTS and activates a cyclic AMP-PKA cascade leading to a genetic program to promote organismic death under severe stress. FSHR-1/GPCR signaling up-regulates the bZIP-type transcription factor ZIP-10, linking FTS to expression of genes involved in lipid remodeling, proteostasis, and aging. A mathematical model suggests how genes may promote organismic death under severe stress conditions, potentially benefiting growth of the clonal population with individuals less stressed and more reproductively privileged. Our studies reveal the roles of FSHR-1/GPCR-mediated signaling in stress-induced gene expression and phenoptosis in C. elegans, providing empirical new insights into mechanisms of stress-induced phenoptosis with evolutionary implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changnan Wang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of PhysiologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yong Long
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and BiotechnologyInstitute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhanChina
| | - Bingying Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of PhysiologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Dengke K. Ma
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of PhysiologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Innovative Genomics InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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14
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Pandey T, Ma DK. Stress-Induced Phenoptosis: Mechanistic Insights and Evolutionary Implications. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:1504-1511. [PMID: 36717459 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922120082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Evolution by natural selection results in biological traits that enable organismic adaptation and survival under various stressful environments. External stresses can be sometimes too severe to overcome, leading to organismic death either because of failure in adapting to such stress, or alternatively, through a regulated form of organismic death (phenoptosis). While regulated cell deaths, including apoptosis, have been extensively studied, little is known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying phenoptosis and its evolutionary significance for multicellular organisms. In this article, we review documented phenomena and mechanistic evidence emerging from studies of stress-induced phenoptosis in the multicellular organism C. elegans and stress-induced deaths at cellular levels in organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals, focusing on abiotic and pathogen stresses. Genes and signaling pathways involved in phenoptosis appear to promote organismic death during severe stress and aging, while conferring fitness and immune defense during mild stress and early life, consistent with their antagonistic pleiotropy actions. As cell apoptosis during development can shape tissues and organs, stress-induced phenoptosis may also contribute to possible benefits at the population level, through mechanisms including kin selection, abortive infection, and soma-to-germline resource allocation. Current models can generate experimentally testable predictions and conceptual frameworks with implications for understanding both stress-induced phenoptosis and natural aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taruna Pandey
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Dengke K Ma
- Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA. .,Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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15
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Zinovkin RA, Kondratenko ND, Zinovkina LA. Does Nrf2 Play a Role of a Master Regulator of Mammalian Aging? BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:1465-1476. [PMID: 36717440 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922120045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
For a long time Nrf2 transcription factor has been attracting attention of researchers investigating phenomenon of aging. Numerous studies have investigated effects of Nrf2 on aging and cell senescence. Nrf2 is often considered as a key player in aging processes, however this needs to be proven. It should be noted that most studies were carried out on invertebrate model organisms, such as nematodes and fruit flies, but not on mammals. This paper briefly presents main mechanisms of mammalian aging and role of inflammation and oxidative stress in this process. The mechanisms of Nrf2 activity regulation, its involvement in aging and development of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) are also discussed. Main part of this review is devoted to critical analysis of available experimental data on the role of Nrf2 in mammalian aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman A Zinovkin
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Russian Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, 129226, Russia
| | - Natalia D Kondratenko
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Russian Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, 129226, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Ludmila A Zinovkina
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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16
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Kubinyi E. Biologia Futura: four questions about ageing and the future of relevant animal models. Biol Futur 2022; 73:385-391. [PMID: 36131217 DOI: 10.1007/s42977-022-00135-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how active and healthy ageing can be achieved is one of the most relevant global problems. In this review, I use the "Four questions" framework of Tinbergen to investigate how ageing works, how it might contribute to the survival of species, how it develops during the lifetime of (human) individuals and how it evolved. The focus of ageing research is usually on losses, although trajectories in later life show heterogeneity and many individuals experience healthy ageing. In humans, mild changes in cognition might be a typical part of ageing, but deficits are a sign of pathology. The ageing of the world's populations, and relatedly, the growing number of pathologically ageing people, is one of the major global problems. Animal models can help to understand the intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Kubinyi
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. .,MTA-ELTE Lendület "Momentum" Companion Animal Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
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17
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Milholland B, Vijg J. Why Gilgamesh failed: the mechanistic basis of the limits to human lifespan. NATURE AGING 2022; 2:878-884. [PMID: 37118288 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00291-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this Perspective is to clarify for an interdisciplinary audience the fundamental concepts of human longevity and provide evidence for a limit to human lifespan. This observed limit is placed into a broader framework by showing how it has arisen through the process of evolution and by enumerating the molecular mechanisms that may enforce it. Finally, we look toward potential future developments and the prospects for possibly circumventing the current limit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jan Vijg
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA.
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18
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Rahal Z, Sinjab A, Wistuba II, Kadara H. Game of clones: Battles in the field of carcinogenesis. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 237:108251. [PMID: 35850404 PMCID: PMC10249058 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in bulk sequencing approaches as well as genomic decoding at the single-cell level have revealed surprisingly high somatic mutational burdens in normal tissues, as well as increased our understanding of the landscape of "field cancerization", that is, molecular and immune alterations in mutagen-exposed normal-appearing tissues that recapitulated those present in tumors. Charting the somatic mutational landscapes in normal tissues can have strong implications on our understanding of how tumors arise from mutagenized epithelium. Making sense of those mutations to understand the progression along the pathologic continuum of normal epithelia, preneoplasias, up to malignant tissues will help pave way for identification of ideal targets that can guide new strategies for preventing or eliminating cancers at their earliest stages of development. In this review, we will provide a brief history of field cancerization and its implications on understanding early stages of cancer pathogenesis and deviation from the pathologically "normal" state. The review will provide an overview of how mutations accumulating in normal tissues can lead to a patchwork of mutated cell clones that compete while maintaining an overall state of functional homeostasis. The review also explores the role of clonal competition in directing the fate of normal tissues and summarizes multiple mechanisms elicited in this phenomenon and which have been linked to cancer development. Finally, we highlight the importance of understanding mutations in normal tissues, as well as clonal competition dynamics (in both the epithelium and the microenvironment) and their significance in exploring new approaches to combatting cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahraa Rahal
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
| | - Ansam Sinjab
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
| | - Humam Kadara
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA.
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19
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Iakovou E, Kourti M. A Comprehensive Overview of the Complex Role of Oxidative Stress in Aging, The Contributing Environmental Stressors and Emerging Antioxidant Therapeutic Interventions. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:827900. [PMID: 35769600 PMCID: PMC9234325 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.827900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aging is a normal, inevitable, irreversible, and progressive process which is driven by internal and external factors. Oxidative stress, that is the imbalance between prooxidant and antioxidant molecules favoring the first, plays a key role in the pathophysiology of aging and comprises one of the molecular mechanisms underlying age-related diseases. However, the oxidative stress theory of aging has not been successfully proven in all animal models studying lifespan, meaning that altering oxidative stress/antioxidant defense systems did not always lead to a prolonged lifespan, as expected. On the other hand, animal models of age-related pathological phenotypes showed a well-correlated relationship with the levels of prooxidant molecules. Therefore, it seems that oxidative stress plays a more complicated role than the one once believed and this role might be affected by the environment of each organism. Environmental factors such as UV radiation, air pollution, and an unbalanced diet, have also been implicated in the pathophysiology of aging and seem to initiate this process more rapidly and even at younger ages. Aim The purpose of this review is to elucidate the role of oxidative stress in the physiology of aging and the effect of certain environmental factors in initiating and sustaining this process. Understanding the pathophysiology of aging will contribute to the development of strategies to postpone this phenomenon. In addition, recent studies investigating ways to alter the antioxidant defense mechanisms in order to prevent aging will be presented. Conclusions Careful exposure to harmful environmental factors and the use of antioxidant supplements could potentially affect the biological processes driving aging and slow down the development of age-related diseases. Maybe a prolonged lifespan could not be achieved by this strategy alone, but a longer healthspan could also be a favorable target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evripides Iakovou
- Department of Life Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Malamati Kourti
- Department of Life Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Angiogenesis and Cancer Drug Discovery Group, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center, Department of Life Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- *Correspondence: Malamati Kourti
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20
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Abstract
Significance: Aging is a natural process that affects most living organisms, resulting in increased mortality. As the world population ages, the prevalence of age-associated diseases, and their associated health care costs, has increased sharply. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to cellular dysfunction may provide important targets for interventions to prevent or treat these diseases. Recent Advances: Although the mitochondrial theory of aging had been proposed more than 40 years ago, recent new data have given stronger support for a central role for mitochondrial dysfunction in several pathways that are deregulated during normal aging and age-associated disease. Critical Issues: Several of the experimental evidence linking mitochondrial alterations to age-associated loss of function are correlative and mechanistic insights are still elusive. Here, we review how mitochondrial dysfunction may be involved in many of the known hallmarks of aging, and how these pathways interact in an intricate net of molecular relationships. Future Directions: As it has become clear that mitochondrial dysfunction plays causative roles in normal aging and age-associated diseases, it is necessary to better define the molecular interactions and the temporal and causal relationship between these changes and the relevant phenotypes seen during the aging process. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 36, 824-843.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio M P F Batalha
- Lab. Genética Mitocondrial, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anibal Eugênio Vercesi
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Nadja C Souza-Pinto
- Lab. Genética Mitocondrial, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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21
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Arif MU, Khan MKI, Riaz S, Nazir A, Maan AA, Amin U, Saeed F, Afzaal M. Role of fruits in aging and age-related disorders. Exp Gerontol 2022; 162:111763. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.111763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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22
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Markov AV, Markov MA. Coevolution of Brain, Culture, and Lifespan: Insights from Computer Simulations. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2021; 86:1503-1525. [PMID: 34937531 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921120014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Humans possess a number of traits that are rare or absent in other primates, including large brain size, culture, language, extended lifespan (LS), and long post-reproductive period. Here, we use a computer model, TribeSim, originally designed to explore the autocatalytic coevolution of the hominin brain and culture within the framework of the "cultural drive" theory, to find out how culture and brain could coevolve with LS (or aging rate). We show that in the absence of culture, the evolution of LS depends on the intensity of the between-group competition (BGC): strong BGC results in shorter LS. Culture, however, favors genetic evolution of longer LS even if the BGC is strong. Extended LS, in turn, enhances cultural development, thus creating positive feedback. Cultural evolution of LS (accumulation of survival-enhancing or survival-impairing knowledge) differs from the genetic evolution of the same trait, partially because "memes" (ideas, skills, and behaviors) that reduce the risk of death tend to spread in the meme pool even if it is not beneficial to genes. Consequently, cultural evolution of aging tends to result in longer LS than genetic evolution of the same trait. If LS evolves both genetically and culturally, the typical result is a society in which young individuals, due to their genetic predisposition, lead a riskier lifestyle in exchange for a chance to gain additional resources, but accumulate survival-enhancing knowledge with age. Simulations also showed that cultural evolution of adaptive behaviors can contribute to the genetic evolution of a long post-reproductive period, e.g., if the presence of knowledgeable long-livers increases the competitiveness of the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Markov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia. .,Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
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23
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Mc Auley MT. DNA methylation in genes associated with the evolution of ageing and disease: A critical review. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 72:101488. [PMID: 34662746 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Ageing is characterised by a physical decline in biological functioning which results in a progressive risk of mortality with time. As a biological phenomenon, it is underpinned by the dysregulation of a myriad of complex processes. Recently, however, ever-increasing evidence has associated epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation (DNAm) with age-onset pathologies, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease. These diseases compromise healthspan. Consequently, there is a medical imperative to understand the link between epigenetic ageing, and healthspan. Evolutionary theory provides a unique way to gain new insights into epigenetic ageing and health. This review will: (1) provide a brief overview of the main evolutionary theories of ageing; (2) discuss recent genetic evidence which has revealed alleles that have pleiotropic effects on fitness at different ages in humans; (3) consider the effects of DNAm on pleiotropic alleles, which are associated with age related disease; (4) discuss how age related DNAm changes resonate with the mutation accumulation, disposable soma and programmed theories of ageing; (5) discuss how DNAm changes associated with caloric restriction intersect with the evolution of ageing; and (6) conclude by discussing how evolutionary theory can be used to inform investigations which quantify age-related DNAm changes which are linked to age onset pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Tomás Mc Auley
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Chester, Exton Park, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
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24
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Shilovsky GA, Putyatina TS, Markov AV. Altruism and Phenoptosis as Programs Supported by Evolution. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2021; 86:1540-1552. [PMID: 34937533 PMCID: PMC8678581 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921120038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Phenoptosis is a programmed death that has emerged in the process of evolution, sometimes taking the form of an altruistic program. In particular, it is believed to be a weapon against the spread of pandemics in the past and an obstacle in fighting pandemics in the present (COVID). However, on the evolutionary scale, deterministic death is not associated with random relationships (for example, bacteria with a particular mutation), but is a product of higher nervous activity or a consequence of established hierarchy that reaches its maximal expression in eusocial communities of Hymenoptera and highly social communities of mammals. Unlike a simple association of individuals, eusociality is characterized by the appearance of non-reproductive individuals as the highest form of altruism. In contrast to primitive programs for unicellular organisms, higher multicellular organisms are characterized by the development of behavior-based phenoptotic programs, especially in the case of reproduction-associated limitation of lifespan. Therefore, we can say that the development of altruism in the course of evolution of sociality leads in its extreme manifestation to phenoptosis. Development of mathematical models for the emergence of altruism and programmed death contributes to our understanding of mechanisms underlying these paradoxical counterproductive (harmful) programs. In theory, this model can be applied not only to insects, but also to other social animals and even to the human society. Adaptive death is an extreme form of altruism. We consider altruism and programmed death as programmed processes in the mechanistic and adaptive sense, respectively. Mechanistically, this is a program existing as a predetermined chain of certain responses, regardless of its adaptive value. As to its adaptive value (regardless of the degree of "phenoptoticity"), this is a characteristic of organisms that demonstrate high levels of kinship, social organization, and physical association typical for higher-order individuals, e.g., unicellular organisms forming colonies with some characteristics of multicellular animals or colonies of multicellular animals displaying features of supraorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Shilovsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia
| | - Tatyana S Putyatina
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Alexander V Markov
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
- Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
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25
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Gladyshev VN, Kritchevsky SB, Clarke SG, Cuervo AM, Fiehn O, de Magalhães JP, Mau T, Maes M, Moritz R, Niedernhofer LJ, Van Schaftingen E, Tranah GJ, Walsh K, Yura Y, Zhang B, Cummings SR. Molecular Damage in Aging. NATURE AGING 2021; 1:1096-1106. [PMID: 36846190 PMCID: PMC9957516 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-021-00150-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cellular metabolism generates molecular damage affecting all levels of biological organization. Accumulation of this damage over time is thought to play a central role in the aging process, but damage manifests in diverse molecular forms complicating its assessment. Insufficient attention has been paid to date to the role of molecular damage in aging-related phenotypes, particularly in humans, in part because of the difficulty in measuring its various forms. Recently, omics approaches have been developed that begin to address this challenge, because they are able to assess a sizeable proportion of age-related damage at the level of small molecules, proteins, RNA, DNA, organelles and cells. This review describes the concept of molecular damage in aging and discusses its diverse aspects from theoretical models to experimental approaches. Measurement of multiple types of damage enables studies of the role of damage in human aging outcomes and lays a foundation for testing interventions to reduce the burden of molecular damage, opening new approaches to slowing aging and reducing its consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim N. Gladyshev
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephen B. Kritchevsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Steven G. Clarke
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ana Maria Cuervo
- Department of Development and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Oliver Fiehn
- West Coast Metabolomics Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - João Pedro de Magalhães
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Theresa Mau
- San Francisco Coordinating Center, California Pacific Medical Center, Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michal Maes
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Robert Moritz
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Laura J. Niedernhofer
- Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Emile Van Schaftingen
- De Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Université catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Gregory J. Tranah
- San Francisco Coordinating Center, California Pacific Medical Center, Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kenneth Walsh
- Hematovascular Biology Center, Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia-School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Yoshimitsu Yura
- Hematovascular Biology Center, Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia-School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Bohan Zhang
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Steven R. Cummings
- San Francisco Coordinating Center, California Pacific Medical Center, Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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26
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Wolf AM. The tumor suppression theory of aging. Mech Ageing Dev 2021; 200:111583. [PMID: 34637937 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite continued increases in human life expectancy, the factors determining the rate of human biological aging remain unknown. Without understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying aging, efforts to prevent aging are unlikely to succeed. The tumor suppression theory of aging introduced here proposes somatic mutation as the proximal cause of aging, but postulates that oncogenic transformation and clonal expansion, not functional impairment, are the relevant consequences of somatic mutation. Obesity and caloric restriction accelerate and decelerate aging due to their effect on cell proliferation, during which most mutations arise. Most phenotypes of aging are merely tumor-suppressive mechanisms that evolved to limit malignant growth, the dominant age-related cause of death in early and middle life. Cancer limits life span for most long-lived mammals, a phenomenon known as Peto's paradox. Its conservation across species demonstrates that mutation is a fundamental but hard limit on mammalian longevity. Cell senescence and apoptosis and differentiation induced by oncogenes, telomere shortening or DNA damage evolved as a second line of defense to limit the tumorigenic potential of clonally expanding cells, but accumulating senescent cells, senescence-associated secretory phenotypes and stem cell exhaustion eventually cause tissue dysfunction and the majority, if not most, phenotypes of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Wolf
- Laboratory for Morphological and Biomolecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Sendagi 1-1-5, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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27
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Applying deductive reasoning and the principles of particle physics to aging research. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:22611-22622. [PMID: 34543232 PMCID: PMC8507302 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Aging is debatably one of the biggest mysteries for humanity, a process consisting of myriads of genetic, molecular, environmental, and stochastic deleterious events, leading to a progressive loss of organism functionality. Aging research currently lacks a common conceptual framework, and one challenge in establishing it is the fact that aging is a highly complex process. To help develop a framework of standard aging rules, we suggest the use of deductive reasoning based on particle physics' principles. Specifically, the principles that we suggest applying to study aging are discreteness of processes, transformation as a result of interaction, and understanding of threshold. Using this framework, biological aging may be described as a sequence of highly discrete molecular transformations caused by a combination of various specific internal and external factors. Internal organismal function and interaction of an organism with the environment result in chronic accumulation of molecular damage and other deleterious consequences of metabolism and the consequent loss of system's functionality. The loss of functionality occurs as a series of thresholds the organism reaches before it turns into an utterly non-functional state. We discuss how having a common ground may benefit aging research, introduce the logic of new principles and analyze specific examples of how this framework could be used to study aging and design longevity interventions.
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28
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Xue F, Li X, Qin L, Liu X, Li C, Adhikari B. Anti-aging properties of phytoconstituents and phyto-nanoemulsions and their application in managing aging-related diseases. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 176:113886. [PMID: 34314783 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Aging is spontaneous and inevitable process in all living beings. It is a complex natural phenomenon that manifests as a gradual decline of physiological functions and homeostasis. Aging inevitably leads to age-associated injuries, diseases, and eventually death. The research on aging-associated diseases aimed at delaying, preventing or even reversing the aging process are of great significance for healthy aging and also for scientific progress. Numerous plant-derived compounds have anti-aging effects, but their therapeutic potential is limited due to their short shelf-life and low bioavailability. As the novel delivery system, nanoemulsion can effectively improve this defect. Nanoemulsions enhance the delivery of drugs to the target site, maintain the plasma concentration for a longer period, and minimize adverse reaction and side effects. This review describes the importance of nanoemulsions for the delivery of phyto-derived compounds and highlights the importance of nanoemulsions in the treatment of aging-related diseases. It also covers the methods of preparation, fate and safety of nanoemulsions, which will provide valuable information for the development of new strategies in treatment of aging-related diseases.
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Lenart P, Bienertová-Vašků J, Berec L. Predation has small, short-term, and in certain conditions random effects on the evolution of aging. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:87. [PMID: 34000997 PMCID: PMC8130161 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01815-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The pace of aging varies considerably in nature. The best-known explanation of the evolution of specific rates of aging is the Williams’ hypothesis suggesting that the aging rate should correlate with the level of extrinsic mortality. However, the current evidence is inconclusive with various examples where the Williams' hypothesis seems to be correct and where it doesn’t. Here we explore the relationship between extrinsic mortality and aging rate by developing a simulation model of the evolution of aging rate in prey subject to predation. Results Our results suggest that more intense predation leads to the evolution of faster pace of aging in prey. However, this effect slowly vanishes when the predator diet breadth is allowed to evolve, too. Furthermore, in our model, the evolution of a specific aging rate is driven mainly by a single parameter, the strength of a trade-off between aging and fecundity. Indeed, in the absence of this trade-off the evolutionary impacts of predation on the prey aging rate appear random. Conclusions We show that the William’s hypothesis appears valid when there is a trade-off between aging and fecundity and predators and prey do not coevolve. However, we also show that when the prey and predators coevolve or if there is no trade-off between aging and fecundity the William`s hypothesis is no longer applicable. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01815-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Lenart
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Building A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Julie Bienertová-Vašků
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Building A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Luděk Berec
- Centre for Mathematical Biology, Institute of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. .,Department of Ecology, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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Heinze J, Giehr J. The plasticity of lifespan in social insects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190734. [PMID: 33678025 PMCID: PMC7938164 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the central questions of ageing research is why lifespans of organisms differ so tremendously among related taxa and, even more surprising, among members of the same species. Social insects provide a particularly pronounced example for this. Here, we review previously published information on lifespan plasticity in social insects and provide new data on worker lifespan in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, which because of its relatively short lifespan is a convenient model to study ageing. We show that individual lifespan may vary within species with several reproductive and social traits, such as egg-laying rate, queen number, task, colony size and colony composition. For example, in Cardiocondyla, highly fecund queens live longer than reproductively less active queens, and workers tend to live longer when transferred into a novel social environment or, as we show with new data, into small colonies. We hypothesize that this plasticity of lifespan serves to maximize the reproductive output of the colony as a whole and thus the inclusive fitness of all individuals. The underlying mechanisms that link the social environment or reproductive status with lifespan are currently unresolved. Several studies in honeybees and ants indicate an involvement of nutrient-sensing pathways, but the details appear to differ among species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Heinze
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040 Germany
| | - Julia Giehr
- Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040 Germany
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Xie X, Shrimpton J, Doody GM, Conaghan PG, Ponchel F. B-cell capacity for differentiation changes with age. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13341. [PMID: 33711204 PMCID: PMC8045946 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Age‐related immune deficiencies are thought to be responsible for increased susceptibility to infection in older adults, with alterations in lymphocyte populations becoming more prevalent over time. The loss of humoral immunity in ageing was attributed to the diminished numbers of B cells and the reduced ability to generate immunoglobulin. Aims To compare the intrinsic B‐cell capacity for differentiation into mature plasma cells (PCs), between young and old donors, using in vitro assays, providing either effective T‐cell help or activation via TLR engagement. Methods B cells were isolated from healthy individuals, in younger (30–38 years) and older (60–64 years) donors. An in vitro model system of B‐cell differentiation was used, analysing 5 differentiation markers by flow cytometry, under T‐dependent (TD: CD40/BCR stimulation) or T‐independent (TI: TLR7/BCR activation) conditions. Antibody secretion was measured by ELISA and gene expression using qPCR. Results TI and TD differentiation resulted in effective proliferation of B cells followed by their differentiation into PC. B‐cell‐executed TI differentiation was faster, all differentiation marker and genes being expressed earlier than under TD differentiation (day 6), although generating less viable cells and lower antibody levels (day 13). Age‐related differences in B‐cell capacity for differentiation were minimal in TD differentiation. In contrast, in TI differentiation age significantly affected proliferation, viability, differentiation, antibody secretion and gene expression, older donors being more efficient. Conclusion Altogether, B‐cell differentiation into PC appeared similar between age groups when provided with T‐cell help, in contrast to TI differentiation, where multiple age‐related changes suggest better capacities in older donors. These new findings may help explain the emergence of autoantibodies in ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanxiao Xie
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine and NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Jennifer Shrimpton
- Division of Haematology and Immunology Leeds Institute of Medical Research University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Gina M. Doody
- Division of Haematology and Immunology Leeds Institute of Medical Research University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Philip G. Conaghan
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine and NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Frederique Ponchel
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine and NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre University of Leeds Leeds UK
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Ghorbani-Anarkooli M, Dabirian S, Zendedel A, Moladoust H, Bahadori MH. Effects of melatonin on the toxicity and proliferation of human anaplastic thyroid cancer cell line. Acta Histochem 2021; 123:151700. [PMID: 33667778 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2021.151700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thyroid carcinoma is the most common endocrine malignancy and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare but most aggressive cancer. Melatonin has enhanced or induced apoptosis in many different cancer cells, however, there has not been any study on the effects of melatonin in the treatment of ATC. In this study, we examined the effect of melatonin on cytotoxicity in the human ATC cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cultured ATC cells were treated at melatonin concentrations 0.6, 1, 4, 16, 28 mM for 24 h. The MTT assay was performed to examine cell viability. Cytotoxicity was assayed with the determination of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Apoptosis was detected by acridine orange/ethidium bromide and Hoechst 33342 staining. Giemsa staining is considered for evaluating the morphological changes of ATC cells. The reproductive ability of cells to form a colony was evaluated by the clonogenic assay. RESULTS Results showed that melatonin could significantly decrease cell viability and the lowest cell viability was observed at 28 mM, 10.26 % ± 0.858 versus control. Similar results were obtained when analyzing LDH activity. The highest LDH levels were observed at 16 and 28 mM (546.08 ± 4.66, 577.82 ± 3.14 munit/mL versus control) that confirmed the occurrence of late apoptosis. The clonogenic assay showed that cells at the high concentration of melatonin (16 and 28 mM) don't enable to form the colony that approved the occurrence of reproductive death. CONCLUSION Our results showed a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect of melatonin on ATC cells that significantly decreased cell viability and induced cell reproductive death at the concentration greater than 1 mM and findings suggested that MLT might be useful as an adjuvant in ATC therapy.
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Chiavellini P, Canatelli-Mallat M, Lehmann M, Gallardo MD, Herenu CB, Cordeiro JL, Clement J, Goya RG. Aging and rejuvenation - a modular epigenome model. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:4734-4746. [PMID: 33627519 PMCID: PMC7950254 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The view of aging has evolved in parallel with the advances in biomedical sciences. Long considered as an irreversible process where interventions were only aimed at slowing down its progression, breakthrough discoveries like animal cloning and cell reprogramming have deeply changed our understanding of postnatal development, giving rise to the emerging view that the epigenome is the driver of aging. The idea was significantly strengthened by the converging discovery that DNA methylation (DNAm) at specific CpG sites could be used as a highly accurate biomarker of age defined by an algorithm known as the Horvath clock. It was at this point where epigenetic rejuvenation came into play as a strategy to reveal to what extent biological age can be set back by making the clock tick backwards. Initial evidence suggests that when the clock is forced to tick backwards in vivo, it is only able to drag the phenotype to a partially rejuvenated condition. In order to explain the results, a bimodular epigenome is proposed, where module A represents the DNAm clock component and module B the remainder of the epigenome. Epigenetic rejuvenation seems to hold the key to arresting or even reversing organismal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Chiavellini
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP) - Histology B and Pathology B, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Martina Canatelli-Mallat
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP) - Histology B and Pathology B, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Marianne Lehmann
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP) - Histology B and Pathology B, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Maria D. Gallardo
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP) - Histology B and Pathology B, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Claudia B. Herenu
- Institute for Experimental Pharmacology (IFEC), School of Chemical Sciences, National University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina
| | | | | | - Rodolfo G. Goya
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP) - Histology B and Pathology B, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
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Abstract
Abstract
Biological ageing can be tentatively defined as an intrinsic and inevitable degradation of biological function that accumulates over time at every level of biological organisation from molecules to populations. Senescence is characterised by a progressive loss of physiological integrity, leading to impaired function and increased vulnerability to death. With advancing age, all components of the human body undergo these cumulative, universal, progressive, intrinsic and deleterious (CUPID) changes. Although ageing is not a disease per se, age is the main risk factor for the development of a panoply of age-related diseases. From a mechanistic perspective, a myriad of molecular processes and components of ageing can be studied. Some of them seem especially important and they are referred to as the hallmarks of ageing. There is compelling evidence that senescence has evolved as an emergent metaphenomenon that originates in the difficulty in maintaining homeodynamics in biological systems. From an evolutionary perspective, senescence is the inevitable outcome of an evolutionarily derived equilibrium between the amount of resources devoted to somatic maintenance and the amount of resources devoted to sexual reproduction. Single-target, single-molecule and disease-oriented approaches to ageing are severely limited because they neglect the dynamic, interactive and networking nature of life. These limitations notwithstanding, many authors promote single-target and disease-oriented approaches to senescence, e.g. repurposed drugs, claiming that these methods can enhance human health and longevity. Senescence is neither a disease nor a monolithic process. In this review, the limitations of these methods are discussed. The current state of biogerontology is also summarised.
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Poljsak B, Dahmane R, Adamič M, Sotler R, Levec T, Pavan Jukić D, Rotim C, Jukić T, Starc A. THE (A)SYMMETRY OF THE MALE GRAYING BEARD HAIRS AS AN INDICATION OF THE PROGRAMMED AGING PROCESS. Acta Clin Croat 2020; 59:650-660. [PMID: 34456453 PMCID: PMC8253069 DOI: 10.20471/acc.2020.59.04.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging interventions will be ineffective if we do not understand the basic principles of aging. Currently, there is no consensus on the issue whether aging is programmed or not. The hypothesis presented in this article indicates that aging (at least graying of male hairs) is programmed. This hypothesis is supported by the symmetry of the graying of male beard hairs. According to stochastic theories of aging, aging is a passive non-programmed process where random dispersion of graying hairs should result. On the contrary, programmed theories of aging would predict that there should be symmetry on the left and right parts of the face showing the same proportion, pattern and time of appearance of graying hairs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raja Dahmane
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Metka Adamič
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Robert Sotler
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Tina Levec
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Doroteja Pavan Jukić
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Cecilija Rotim
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Tomislav Jukić
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Andrej Starc
- 1Laboratory for Oxidative Stress Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 2Department of Biomedicine in Health Care Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 3Metka Adamič Dermatology Clinic, Ljubljana, Slovenia; 4Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek, Croatia; 5Dr Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; 6Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and History of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
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Zhang B, Gladyshev VN. How can aging be reversed? Exploring rejuvenation from a damage-based perspective. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 1:e10025. [PMID: 36619246 PMCID: PMC9744548 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.10025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Advanced age is associated with accumulation of damage and other deleterious changes and a consequential systemic decline of function. This decline affects all organs and systems in an organism, leading to their inadaptability to the environment, and therefore is thought to be inevitable for humans and most animal species. However, in vitro and in vivo application of reprogramming strategies, which convert somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells, has demonstrated that the aged cells can be rejuvenated. Moreover, the data and theoretical considerations suggest that reversing the biological age of somatic cells (from old to young) and de-differentiating somatic cells into stem cells represent two distinct processes that take place during rejuvenation, and thus they may be differently targeted. We advance a stemness-function model to explain these data and discuss a possibility of rejuvenation from the perspective of damage accumulation. In turn, this suggests approaches to achieve rejuvenation of cells in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohan Zhang
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Vadim N. Gladyshev
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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37
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Du LL. Resurrection from lethal knockouts: Bypass of gene essentiality. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 528:405-412. [PMID: 32507598 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.05.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding genotype-phenotype relationships is a central pursuit in biology. Gene knockout generates a complete loss-of-function genotype and is a commonly used approach for probing gene functions. The most severe phenotypic consequence of gene knockout is lethality. Genes with a lethal knockout phenotype are called essential genes. Based on genome-wide knockout analyses in yeasts, up to approximately a quarter of genes in a genome can be essential. Like other genotype-phenotype relationships, gene essentiality is subject to background effects and can vary due to gene-gene interactions. In particular, for some essential genes, lethality caused by knockout can be rescued by extragenic suppressors. Such "bypass of essentiality" (BOE) gene-gene interactions have been an understudied type of genetic suppression. A recent systematic analysis revealed that, remarkably, the essentiality of nearly 30% of essential genes in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe can be bypassed by BOE interactions. Here, I review the history and recent progress on uncovering and understanding the bypass of gene essentiality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Lin Du
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, 102206, China; Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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38
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Mota-Martorell N, Jove M, Pradas I, Berdún R, Sanchez I, Naudi A, Gari E, Barja G, Pamplona R. Gene expression and regulatory factors of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 predict mammalian longevity. GeroScience 2020; 42:1157-1173. [PMID: 32578071 PMCID: PMC7434991 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-020-00210-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Species longevity varies significantly across animal species, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recent studies and omics approaches suggest that phenotypic traits of longevity could converge in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway. The present study focuses on the comparative approach in heart tissue from 8 mammalian species with a ML ranging from 3.5 to 46 years. Gene expression, protein content, and concentration of regulatory metabolites of the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) were measured using droplet digital PCR, western blot, and mass spectrometry, respectively. Our results demonstrate (1) the existence of differences in species-specific gene expression and protein content of mTORC1, (2) that the achievement of a high longevity phenotype correlates with decreased and inhibited mTORC1, (3) a decreased content of mTORC1 activators in long-lived animals, and (4) that these differences are independent of phylogeny. Our findings, taken together, support an important role for mTORC1 downregulation in the evolution of long-lived mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Mota-Martorell
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (UdL-IRBLleida), 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mariona Jove
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (UdL-IRBLleida), 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Irene Pradas
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (UdL-IRBLleida), 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Rebeca Berdún
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (UdL-IRBLleida), 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Isabel Sanchez
- Proteomics and Genomics Unit, University of Lleida, 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alba Naudi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (UdL-IRBLleida), 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eloi Gari
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Lleida-Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (UdL-IRBLleida), 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gustavo Barja
- Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Reinald Pamplona
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (UdL-IRBLleida), 25198, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain.
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Skulachev VP, Shilovsky GA, Putyatina TS, Popov NA, Markov AV, Skulachev MV, Sadovnichii VA. Perspectives of Homo sapiens lifespan extension: focus on external or internal resources? Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:5566-5584. [PMID: 32229707 PMCID: PMC7138562 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Homo sapiens and naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are vivid examples of social mammals that differ from their relatives in particular by an increased lifespan and a large number of neotenic features. An important fact for biogerontology is that the mortality rate of H. glaber (a maximal lifespan of more than 32 years, which is very large for such a small rodent) negligibly grows with age. The same is true for modern people in developed countries below the age of 60. It is important that the juvenilization of traits that separate humans from chimpanzees evolved over thousands of generations and millions of years. Rapid advances in technology resulted in a sharp increase in the life expectancy of human beings during the past 100 years. Currently, the human life expectancy has exceeded 80 years in developed countries. It cannot be excluded that the potential for increasing life expectancy by an improvement in living conditions will be exhausted after a certain period of time. New types of geroprotectors should be developed that protect not only from chronic phenoptosis gradual poisoning of the body with reactive oxygen species (ROS) but also from acute phenoptosis, where strong increase in the level of ROS immediately kills an already aged individual. Geroprotectors might be another anti-aging strategy along with neoteny (a natural physiological phenomenon) and technical progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir P Skulachev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Gregory A Shilovsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127051, Russia.,Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Tatyana S Putyatina
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Nikita A Popov
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Alexander V Markov
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Maxim V Skulachev
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Victor A Sadovnichii
- Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
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Galimov ER, Lohr JN, Gems D. When and How Can Death Be an Adaptation? BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2020; 84:1433-1437. [PMID: 31870246 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297919120010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The concept of phenoptosis (or programmed organismal death) is problematic with respect to most species (including humans) since it implies that dying of old age is an adaptation, which contradicts the established evolutionary theory. But can dying ever be a strategy to promote fitness? Given recent developments in our understanding of the evolution of altruism, particularly kin and multilevel selection theories, it is timely to revisit the possible existence of adaptive death. Here, we discuss how programmed death could be an adaptive trait under certain conditions found in organisms capable of clonal colonial existence, such as the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and, perhaps, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The concept of phenoptosis is only tenable if consistent with the evolutionary theory; this accepted, phenoptosis may only occur under special conditions that do not apply to most animal groups (including mammals).
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Galimov
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - J N Lohr
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - D Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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41
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Abstract
Understanding the proximate and ultimate causes of ageing is one of the key challenges in current biology and medicine. These problems are so important that they are sometimes referred to as the Holy Grail of biology and the Great Conundrum in biogerontology. From an evolutionary perspective, ageing is due to a failure of selection that is caused either by declining strength of selection after the onset of sexual reproduction (Medawar’s theory and Charlesworth’s model) or pleiotropic constraints (Williams’ theory). According to the disposable soma theory, which was proposed by Kirkwood and Holliday, ageing is driven by the accumulation of damage during life and failures of defensive and repair mechanisms as the more an animal expends on sexual reproduction, the less it can expend on bodily maintenance, and vice versa. Although these standard models rule out the possibility that ageing is programmed, there is no consensus about the nature of ageing within the life history in current biogerontology. Interestingly, empirical studies show that there are molecular instructions for ageing and evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for ageing, which seems inconsistent with the idea that ageing is a matter of neglect or a consequence of a failure of selection due to pleiotropic constraints. Here, selected arguments for programmed (i.e. either determined and adaptive or prearranged but non-adaptive) and non-programmed ageing are discussed. Recent advances in biogerontology that cast new light on these problems are outlined here in the context of the idea that the pace of ageing can act as an adaptation in nature, even though ageing is non-programmed and non-adaptive.
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43
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Umansky S. Aging and aging-associated diseases: a microRNA-based endocrine regulation hypothesis. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 10:2557-2569. [PMID: 30375982 PMCID: PMC6224249 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although there are numerous hypotheses explaining the nature of aging and associated processes, two concepts are dominant: (i) aging is a result of cell-autonomous processes, such as the accumulation of DNA mutations, aberrant methylations, protein defects, and shortening of telomeres, leading to either inhibition of cellular proliferation and death of non-dividing terminally differentiated cells or tumor development; (ii) aging is a result of a central program that is switched on at a specific stage of organismic development. The microRNA-based endocrine regulation hypothesis combines the two above concepts by proposing central regulation of cell death occurrences via hypothalamus-pituitary gland (PG)-secreted miRNA hormones, the expression and/or secretion of which are regulated by sex hormones. This hypothesis explains such well-known phenomena as inverse comorbidity of either cancer or Alzheimer’s (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases; higher AD morbidity and lower frequency of many common types of cancer in women vs. men; higher risk of early AD and lower risk of cancer in subjects with Down syndrome; longer life expectancy in women vs. men and much lower sex-dependent differences, if any, in other mammals; increased lifespans due to hypophysectomy or PG hypofunction; and parabiotic effects of blood or plasma transfusions between young and old animals.
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Schmeer C, Kretz A, Wengerodt D, Stojiljkovic M, Witte OW. Dissecting Aging and Senescence-Current Concepts and Open Lessons. Cells 2019; 8:cells8111446. [PMID: 31731770 PMCID: PMC6912776 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the programmed nature of development, it is still a matter of debate whether aging is an adaptive and regulated process, or merely a consequence arising from a stochastic accumulation of harmful events that culminate in a global state of reduced fitness, risk for disease acquisition, and death. Similarly unanswered are the questions of whether aging is reversible and can be turned into rejuvenation as well as how aging is distinguishable from and influenced by cellular senescence. With the discovery of beneficial aspects of cellular senescence and evidence of senescence being not limited to replicative cellular states, a redefinition of our comprehension of aging and senescence appears scientifically overdue. Here, we provide a factor-based comparison of current knowledge on aging and senescence, which we converge on four suggested concepts, thereby implementing the newly emerging cellular and molecular aspects of geroconversion and amitosenescence, and the signatures of a genetic state termed genosenium. We also address the possibility of an aging-associated secretory phenotype in analogy to the well-characterized senescence-associated secretory phenotype and delineate the impact of epigenetic regulation in aging and senescence. Future advances will elucidate the biological and molecular fingerprints intrinsic to either process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schmeer
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany; (A.K.); (D.W.); (M.S.); (O.W.W.)
- Jena Center for Healthy Ageing, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Alexandra Kretz
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany; (A.K.); (D.W.); (M.S.); (O.W.W.)
- Jena Center for Healthy Ageing, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany
| | - Diane Wengerodt
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany; (A.K.); (D.W.); (M.S.); (O.W.W.)
| | - Milan Stojiljkovic
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany; (A.K.); (D.W.); (M.S.); (O.W.W.)
- Jena Center for Healthy Ageing, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany
| | - Otto W. Witte
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany; (A.K.); (D.W.); (M.S.); (O.W.W.)
- Jena Center for Healthy Ageing, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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Abstract
Longevity reflects the ability to maintain homeostatic conditions necessary for life as an organism ages. A long-lived organism must contend not only with environmental hazards but also with internal entropy and macromolecular damage that result in the loss of fitness during ageing, a phenomenon known as senescence. Although central to many of the core concepts in biology, ageing and longevity have primarily been investigated in sexually reproducing, multicellular organisms. However, growing evidence suggests that microorganisms undergo senescence, and can also exhibit extreme longevity. In this Review, we integrate theoretical and empirical insights to establish a unified perspective on senescence and longevity. We discuss the evolutionary origins, genetic mechanisms and functional consequences of microbial ageing. In addition to having biomedical implications, insights into microbial ageing shed light on the role of ageing in the origin of life and the upper limits to longevity.
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Barja G. Towards a unified mechanistic theory of aging. Exp Gerontol 2019; 124:110627. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2019.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Simaan H, Shalaby S, Hatoel M, Karinski O, Goldshmidt-Tran O, Horwitz BA. The AP-1-like transcription factor ChAP1 balances tolerance and cell death in the response of the maize pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus to a plant phenolic. Curr Genet 2019; 66:187-203. [PMID: 31312934 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-01012-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens need to contend with stresses including oxidants and antimicrobial chemicals resulting from host defenses. ChAP1 of Cochliobolus heterostrophus, agent of Southern corn leaf blight, encodes an ortholog of yeast YAP1. ChAP1 is retained in the nucleus in response to plant-derived phenolic acids, in addition to its well-studied activation by oxidants. Here, we used transcriptome profiling to ask which genes are regulated in response to ChAP1 activation by ferulic acid (FA), a phenolic abundant in the maize host. Nuclearization of ChAP1 in response to phenolics is not followed by strong expression of genes needed for oxidative stress tolerance. We, therefore, compared the transcriptomes of the wild-type pathogen and a ChAP1 deletion mutant, to study the function of ChAP1 in response to FA. We hypothesized that if ChAP1 is retained in the nucleus under plant-related stress conditions yet in the absence of obvious oxidant stress, it should have additional regulatory functions. The transcriptional signature in response to FA in the wild type compared to the mutant sheds light on the signaling mechanisms and response pathways by which ChAP1 can mediate tolerance to ferulic acid, distinct from its previously known role in the antioxidant response. The ChAP1-dependent FA regulon consists mainly of two large clusters. The enrichment of transport and metabolism-related genes in cluster 1 indicates that C. heterostrophus degrades FA and removes it from the cell. When this fails at increasing stress levels, FA provides a signal for cell death, indicated by the enrichment of cell death-related genes in cluster 2. By quantitation of survival and by TUNEL assays, we show that ChAP1 promotes survival and mitigates cell death. Growth rate data show a time window in which the mutant colony expands faster than the wild type. The results delineate a transcriptional regulatory pattern in which ChAP1 helps balance a survival response for tolerance to FA, against a pathway promoting cell death in the pathogen. A general model for the transition from a phase where the return to homeostasis dominates to a phase leading to the onset of cell death provides a context for understanding these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Simaan
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Samer Shalaby
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel.,Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Maor Hatoel
- Technion Genome Center, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Olga Karinski
- Technion Genome Center, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Orit Goldshmidt-Tran
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Benjamin A Horwitz
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel.
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Taormina G, Ferrante F, Vieni S, Grassi N, Russo A, Mirisola MG. Longevity: Lesson from Model Organisms. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10070518. [PMID: 31324014 PMCID: PMC6678192 DOI: 10.3390/genes10070518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on longevity and healthy aging promises to increase our lifespan and decrease the burden of degenerative diseases with important social and economic effects. Many aging theories have been proposed, and important aging pathways have been discovered. Model organisms have had a crucial role in this process because of their short lifespan, cheap maintenance, and manipulation possibilities. Yeasts, worms, fruit flies, or mammalian models such as mice, monkeys, and recently, dogs, have helped shed light on aging processes. Genes and molecular mechanisms that were found to be critical in simple eukaryotic cells and species have been confirmed in humans mainly by the functional analysis of mammalian orthologues. Here, we review conserved aging mechanisms discovered in different model systems that are implicated in human longevity as well and that could be the target of anti-aging interventions in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusi Taormina
- Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Stomatologiche, Università di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Federica Ferrante
- Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Stomatologiche, Università di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Vieni
- Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Stomatologiche, Università di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Nello Grassi
- Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Stomatologiche, Università di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Stomatologiche, Università di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mario G Mirisola
- Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Oncologiche e Stomatologiche, Università di Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90100 Palermo, Italy.
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Kyriazis M. Ageing Throughout History: The Evolution of Human Lifespan. J Mol Evol 2019; 88:57-65. [PMID: 31197416 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-019-09896-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It is not surprising that one of the most complex phenomena in nature is that of ageing. It does not only bear biological interest, but it is also associated with cultural, psychological, social and even philosophical issues. It is therefore to be expected that a great deal of research is being performed in order to study the evolution of ageing and, more specifically, the evolution of human ageing. Historical aspects of this evolution will be discussed. Evidence from a variety of sources shows that the human lifespan is increasing, and may well continue to increase to levels that are difficult to predict. In addition, the most important theories about ageing based on evolutionary principles will be examined. Examples are mutation accumulation, antagonistic pleiotropy and the disposable soma theory. Finally, a section about future evolution of human ageing, based upon newly emerging research, will shed some light and provide speculative-provocative ideas about the future of ageing in humans.
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50
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Wagner W. The Link Between Epigenetic Clocks for Aging and Senescence. Front Genet 2019; 10:303. [PMID: 31001330 PMCID: PMC6456648 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Replicative senescence of cells in vitro is often considered as counterpart for aging of the organism in vivo. In fact, both processes are associated with functional decay and similar molecular modifications. On epigenetic level, replicative senescence and aging evoke characteristic modifications in the DNA methylation (DNAm) pattern, but at different sites in the genome. Various epigenetic signatures, which are often referred to as epigenetic clocks, provide useful biomarkers: Senescence-associated epigenetic modifications can be used for quality control of cell preparations or to elucidate effects of culture conditions on the state of cellular aging. Age-associated epigenetic modifications hold high expectations to determine chronological age in forensics or to identify parameters that impact on biological aging. Despite these differences, there are some striking similarities between senescence- and age-associated DNAm, such as complete rejuvenation during reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). It is yet unclear what makes epigenetic clocks tick, but there is evidence that the underlying mechanisms of both processes are related to similar modifications in the histone code or higher order chromatin. Replicative senescence therefore appears to be a suitable model system to gain better insight into how organismal aging might be governed epigenetically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Wagner
- Division of Stem Cell Biology and Cellular Engineering, Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Biomedical Engineering - Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Aachen, Germany
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