Special Issue "Centenarians-A Model to Study the Molecular Basis of Lifespan and Healthspan"

Special Issue "Centenarians-A Model to Study the Molecular Basis of Lifespan and Healthspan 2.0"

The global population is experiencing an increase in ageing and life expectancy [...].

A Comprehensive Analysis of Cytokine Network in Centenarians

Cytokines have been investigated extensively in elderly people, with conflicting results. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the plasma levels of 62 cytokines and growth factors involved in the regulation of the immune system, in healthy centenarians, and middle-aged controls. We confirmed the previously observed increase in the levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, and found that several other cytokines, directly or indirectly involved in inflammation (such as IFN-α, IL-23, CCL-5), were present at higher levels in centenarians. We did not observe any increase in the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, with the notable exception of the Th2-shifting cytokine IL-19. No relevant difference was observed in cytokines regulating T cell immunity. Several growth factors having a role in regulating immunity, such as G-CSF, GM-CSF, EGF, and VEGF, were upregulated in centenarians, too. Principal component analysis of the cytokine dataset showed that pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines were the variables that contributed the most to the variability of the data we observed.

Lessons from Sicilian Centenarians for Anti-Ageing Medicine. The Oxi-Inflammatory Status

Population ageing is a great achievement of humanity, but it also represents a challenge that the Western world is currently facing, as ageing is associated with increased susceptibility to age-related inflammatory diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to fully understand the mechanisms of healthy ageing to prevent the harmful aspects of ageing. The study of long living individuals (LLIs) is a great model for trying to achieve this goal. Accordingly, the oxy-inflammatory status of Sicilian LLIs was reviewed in the present paper. Based on the reported data, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress strategies have been discussed, useful for delaying or avoiding the onset of age-related diseases, thus favouring a healthy ageing process.

Revealing the Longevity Code of Humans with up to Extreme Longevity in Guangxi Based on Physical Examination Indicators and Personalized Biomarkers of Aging

Background

The pursuit of health and longevity is the eternal theme of humanity. Guangxi has a remarkable phenomenon of longevity in long-lived regions and ranks with the highest number of longevity villages in China, thus providing a natural advantage for health longevity research.

Methods

In this study, we selected 117 natives of a longevity area in Guangxi, covering a large age range (38-118 years old) as subjects to measure peripheral leukocyte telomere length (LTL). Nineteen physical examination indicators and two inflammatory factor levels were measured.

Results

Pearson's analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between age and LTL (r = -0.3694, p = 0.003), as well as alanine aminotransferase, albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, γ-glutamyltransferase, triglycerides, Interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor type-α. Systolic blood pressure and blood urea nitrogen were positively correlated with age. In addition, LTL decreased in people aged 38-89 years, and an upward trend was observed in people aged older than 90 years.

Conclusions

Longevity individuals have characteristics, such as longer LTL, good hepatic function, and lower triglycerides and inflammation levels.

Age and Gender-related Variations of Molecular and Phenotypic Parameters in A Cohort of Sicilian Population: from Young to Centenarians

People are living longer, but lifespan increase does not coincide with a boost in health-span. Thus, improving the quality of life of older people is a priority. Centenarians reach extreme longevity in a relatively good health status, escaping or delaying fatal or strongly invalidating diseases. Therefore, studying processes involved in longevity is important to explain the biological mechanisms of health and well-being, since knowledge born from this approach can provide valuable information on how to slow aging. We performed the present study in a well characterized very homogeneous sample of 173 people from Western Sicily, to update existing literature on some phenotypic aspects of aging and longevity and to propose a range of values for older people. We classified 5 age groups, from young adults to centenarians, to understand the age and gender-related variations of the different parameters under study. We collected anamnestic data and performed anthropometric, bioimpedance, molecular, haematological, oxidative, and hematochemical tests, adopting a multidimensional analysis approach. An important evidence of the present study is that there are differences related to both age and gender in several biomarkers. Indeed, gender differences seem to be still poorly considered and inadequately investigated in aging as well as in other medical studies. Moreover, we often observed comparable parameters between young and centenarians rather than non-agenarians and centenarians, hypothesizing a sort of slowdown, almost followed by a reversal trend, in the decay of systemic deterioration. The study of centenarians provides important indications on how to slow aging, with benefits for those who are more vulnerable to disease and disability. The identification of the factors that predispose to a long and healthy life is of enormous interest for translational medicine in an aging world.