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Cellular Immunology Apr 2021The challenge of distinguishing between changes attributable to ageing and those attributable to pathology is even greater for the immune system than for many other... (Review)
Review
The challenge of distinguishing between changes attributable to ageing and those attributable to pathology is even greater for the immune system than for many other organs, and this is especially true for myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Hematopoiesis is different in older adults with a bias towards myelopoiesis, and older adults also manifest "inflammageing" exacerbated by disease and contributing to MDSC induction. Hence, at least in humans, one can only investigate MDSCs in the context of ageing and disease states, and not in the context of ageing processes per se. This contribution provides a brief overview of the literature on MDSCs and ageing in humans.
Topics: Aging; Humans; Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells
PubMed: 33550187
DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2021.104297 -
Aging Cell Sep 2021Advanced age is the main common risk factor for cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. Yet, more is known about the molecular basis of any of these groups... (Review)
Review
Advanced age is the main common risk factor for cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. Yet, more is known about the molecular basis of any of these groups of diseases than the changes that accompany ageing itself. Progress in molecular ageing research was slow because the tools predicting whether someone aged slowly or fast (biological age) were unreliable. To understand ageing as a risk factor for disease and to develop interventions, the molecular ageing field needed a quantitative measure; a clock for biological age. Over the past decade, a number of age predictors utilising DNA methylation have been developed, referred to as epigenetic clocks. While they appear to estimate biological age, it remains unclear whether the methylation changes used to train the clocks are a reflection of other underlying cellular or molecular processes, or whether methylation itself is involved in the ageing process. The precise aspects of ageing that the epigenetic clocks capture remain hidden and seem to vary between predictors. Nonetheless, the use of epigenetic clocks has opened the door towards studying biological ageing quantitatively, and new clocks and applications, such as forensics, appear frequently. In this review, we will discuss the range of epigenetic clocks available, their strengths and weaknesses, and their applicability to various scientific queries.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Epigenesis, Genetic; Humans
PubMed: 34415665
DOI: 10.1111/acel.13452 -
Nature Communications Aug 2023Cardiovascular ageing is a process that begins early in life and leads to a progressive change in structure and decline in function due to accumulated damage across...
Cardiovascular ageing is a process that begins early in life and leads to a progressive change in structure and decline in function due to accumulated damage across diverse cell types, tissues and organs contributing to multi-morbidity. Damaging biophysical, metabolic and immunological factors exceed endogenous repair mechanisms resulting in a pro-fibrotic state, cellular senescence and end-organ damage, however the genetic architecture of cardiovascular ageing is not known. Here we use machine learning approaches to quantify cardiovascular age from image-derived traits of vascular function, cardiac motion and myocardial fibrosis, as well as conduction traits from electrocardiograms, in 39,559 participants of UK Biobank. Cardiovascular ageing is found to be significantly associated with common or rare variants in genes regulating sarcomere homeostasis, myocardial immunomodulation, and tissue responses to biophysical stress. Ageing is accelerated by cardiometabolic risk factors and we also identify prescribed medications that are potential modifiers of ageing. Through large-scale modelling of ageing across multiple traits our results reveal insights into the mechanisms driving premature cardiovascular ageing and reveal potential molecular targets to attenuate age-related processes.
Topics: Humans; Aging; Electrocardiography; Cellular Senescence; Aging, Premature; Myocardium
PubMed: 37604819
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40566-6 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Jun 2024Good sexual health promotes quality of life and coping skills, and this also applies to older adults. This clinical review article presents updated knowledge on older... (Review)
Review
Good sexual health promotes quality of life and coping skills, and this also applies to older adults. This clinical review article presents updated knowledge on older adults' sexuality, normal challenges related to ageing and conjugal relationships, and sexual challenges caused by chronic diseases, adverse effects of medications, and cognitive failure. The review describes measures to improve sexual health. Healthcare personnel should take the initiative to talk about sexual health with older adults.
Topics: Humans; Sexual Health; Aged; Aging; Female; Male; Quality of Life; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological; Chronic Disease; Sexuality
PubMed: 38832621
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.23.0809 -
Sub-cellular Biochemistry 2018Although the links between defects in DNA repair and cancer are well established, an accumulating body of evidence suggests a series of functional links between genome... (Review)
Review
Although the links between defects in DNA repair and cancer are well established, an accumulating body of evidence suggests a series of functional links between genome maintenance pathways, lifespan regulation mechanisms and age-related diseases in mammals. Indeed, the growing number of DNA repair-deficient patients with progeria suggests that persistent DNA damage and genome caretakers are tightly linked to lifespan regulating circuits and age-related diseases. Here, we discuss the impact of irreparable DNA damage events in mammalian physiology highlighting the relevance of DNA repair factors in mammalian development and aging.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Cell Nucleus; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; Humans; Longevity; Progeria
PubMed: 30779013
DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-2835-0_10 -
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development Sep 2023Ageing is a continuous process in life featuring progressive damage accumulation that leads to physiological decline, functional deterioration and ultimately death of an... (Review)
Review
Ageing is a continuous process in life featuring progressive damage accumulation that leads to physiological decline, functional deterioration and ultimately death of an organism. Based on the relatively close anatomical and physiological similarity to humans, the mouse has been proven as a valuable model organism in ageing research over the last decades. In this review, we survey methods and tools currently in use to assess ageing phenotypes in mice. We summarize a range of ageing-associated alterations detectable at two major levels of analysis: (1) physiology and pathophysiology and (2) molecular biomarkers. Age-sensitive phenotypes provided in this article may serve to inform future studies targeting various aspects of organismal ageing in mice. In addition, we discuss conceptual and technical challenges faced by previous ageing studies in mice and, where possible, provide recommendations on how to resolve some of these issues.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Aging; Biomarkers; Phenotype
PubMed: 37454704
DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111852 -
GeroScience Oct 2022One of the most striking findings in biogerontology in the 2010s was the demonstration that elimination of senescent cells delays many late-life diseases and extends... (Review)
Review
One of the most striking findings in biogerontology in the 2010s was the demonstration that elimination of senescent cells delays many late-life diseases and extends lifespan in mice. This implied that accumulation of senescent cells promotes late-life diseases, particularly through action of senescent cell secretions (the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, or SASP). But what exactly is a senescent cell? Subsequent to the initial characterization of cellular senescence, it became clear that, prior to aging, this phenomenon is in fact adaptive. It supports tissue remodeling functions in a variety of contexts, including embryogenesis, parturition, and acute inflammatory processes that restore normal tissue architecture and function, such as wound healing, tissue repair after infection, and amphibian limb regeneration. In these contexts, such cells are normal and healthy and not in any way senescent in the true sense of the word, as originally meant by Hayflick. Thus, it is misleading to refer to them as "senescent." Similarly, the common assertion that senescent cells accumulate with age due to stress and DNA damage is no longer safe, particularly given their role in inflammation-a process that becomes persistent in later life. We therefore suggest that it would be useful to update some terminology, to bring it into line with contemporary understanding, and to avoid future confusion. To open a discussion of this issue, we propose replacing the term cellular senescence with remodeling activation, and SASP with RASP (remodeling-associated secretory phenotype).
Topics: Animals; Mice; Cellular Senescence; Aging; Inflammation; Longevity
PubMed: 36068483
DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00652-x -
Ageing Research Reviews Nov 2015
Topics: Aging; Humans; Inflammation
PubMed: 26573432
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.11.001 -
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development Sep 2020
Topics: Aging; Chronic Disease; Homeostasis; Humans; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Mitophagy
PubMed: 32569605
DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111291 -
Sub-cellular Biochemistry 2018Vitamin B contributes to the overall health and wellbeing, including that of energy metabolism, methylation, synthesis and DNA repair and proper immune function.... (Review)
Review
Vitamin B contributes to the overall health and wellbeing, including that of energy metabolism, methylation, synthesis and DNA repair and proper immune function. Deficiency in B vitamins has been linked to neurocognitive disorders, mitochondrial dysfunction, immune dysfunction and inflammatory conditions. In ageing populations B vitamin deficiency has been linked to cardiovascular disorders, cognitive dysfunction, osteoporosis and methylation disorders and can increase the risk of developing degenerative diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, cognitive diseases and osteoporosis. Optimization of B vitamin status in the elderly may prove beneficial in the prevention of degenerative diseases. Here we discuss broadly the role of B vitamins in ageing.
Topics: Aging; Humans; Vitamin B Complex; Vitamin B Deficiency
PubMed: 30779018
DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-2835-0_15