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Molecules and Cells Feb 2017is an important model organism with many useful features, including rapid development and aging, easy cultivation, and genetic tractability. Survival assays using are... (Review)
Review
is an important model organism with many useful features, including rapid development and aging, easy cultivation, and genetic tractability. Survival assays using are powerful methods for studying physiological processes. In this review, we describe diverse types of survival assays and discuss the aims, uses, and advantages of specific assays. survival assays have played key roles in identifying novel genetic factors that regulate many aspects of animal physiology, such as aging and lifespan, stress response, and immunity against pathogens. Because many genetic factors discovered using are evolutionarily conserved, survival assays can provide insights into mechanisms underlying physiological processes in mammals, including humans.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Longevity; Models, Animal
PubMed: 28241407
DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2017.0017 -
BioMed Research International 2014If aging is due to or contributed by free radical reactions, as postulated by the free radical theory of aging, lifespan of organisms should be extended by... (Review)
Review
If aging is due to or contributed by free radical reactions, as postulated by the free radical theory of aging, lifespan of organisms should be extended by administration of exogenous antioxidants. This paper reviews data on model organisms concerning the effects of exogenous antioxidants (antioxidant vitamins, lipoic acid, coenzyme Q, melatonin, resveratrol, curcumin, other polyphenols, and synthetic antioxidants including antioxidant nanoparticles) on the lifespan of model organisms. Mechanisms of effects of antioxidants, often due to indirect antioxidant action or to action not related to the antioxidant properties of the compounds administered, are discussed. The legitimacy of antioxidant supplementation in human is considered.
Topics: Aging; Antioxidants; Dietary Supplements; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Longevity; Oxidative Stress; Reactive Oxygen Species; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 24783202
DOI: 10.1155/2014/404680 -
Nature Oct 2021Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has recently gained interest as a potential anti-ageing treatment for organisms from Drosophila to humans. TRF restricts food intake to...
Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has recently gained interest as a potential anti-ageing treatment for organisms from Drosophila to humans. TRF restricts food intake to specific hours of the day. Because TRF controls the timing of feeding, rather than nutrient or caloric content, TRF has been hypothesized to depend on circadian-regulated functions; the underlying molecular mechanisms of its effects remain unclear. Here, to exploit the genetic tools and well-characterized ageing markers of Drosophila, we developed an intermittent TRF (iTRF) dietary regimen that robustly extended fly lifespan and delayed the onset of ageing markers in the muscles and gut. We found that iTRF enhanced circadian-regulated transcription and that iTRF-mediated lifespan extension required both circadian regulation and autophagy, a conserved longevity pathway. Night-specific induction of autophagy was both necessary and sufficient to extend lifespan on an ad libitum diet and also prevented further iTRF-mediated lifespan extension. By contrast, day-specific induction of autophagy did not extend lifespan. Thus, these results identify circadian-regulated autophagy as a critical contributor to iTRF-mediated health benefits in Drosophila. Because both circadian regulation and autophagy are highly conserved processes in human ageing, this work highlights the possibility that behavioural or pharmaceutical interventions that stimulate circadian-regulated autophagy might provide people with similar health benefits, such as delayed ageing and lifespan extension.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Autophagy; Biomarkers; Circadian Clocks; Circadian Rhythm; Darkness; Drosophila melanogaster; Feeding Behavior; Female; Longevity; Male; Time Factors
PubMed: 34588695
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03934-0 -
Autophagy Mar 2022Macroautophagy/autophagy plays crucial roles in aging and the pathogenesis of age-related diseases. Studies in various animal models demonstrate the conserved...
Macroautophagy/autophagy plays crucial roles in aging and the pathogenesis of age-related diseases. Studies in various animal models demonstrate the conserved requirement for autophagy-related genes in multiple anti-aging interventions. A recent study from the Shirasu-Hiza lab showed that a newly designed intermittent time-restricted feeding (iTRF) dietary regimen can robustly extend fly healthspan and lifespan through circadian rhythm-dependent activation of autophagy. The night-specific induction of autophagy is both necessary and sufficient for iTRF-mediated health benefits. The study provides the intriguing possibility that novel behavioral or pharmaceutical interventions that promote night-specific autophagy can be used to promote healthy aging.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Autophagy; Circadian Rhythm; Fasting; Longevity
PubMed: 35220894
DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2022.2039524 -
Aging Oct 2019From the dawn of civilization, humanity has dreamed of immortality. So why didn't the discovery of the anti-aging properties of mTOR inhibitors change the world forever?...
From the dawn of civilization, humanity has dreamed of immortality. So why didn't the discovery of the anti-aging properties of mTOR inhibitors change the world forever? I will discuss several reasons, including fear of the actual and fictional side effects of rapamycin, everolimus and other clinically-approved drugs, arguing that no real side effects preclude their use as anti-aging drugs today. Furthermore, the alternative to the reversible (and avoidable) side effects of rapamycin/everolimus are the irreversible (and inevitable) effects of aging: cancer, stroke, infarction, blindness and premature death. I will also discuss why it is more dangerous not to use anti-aging drugs than to use them and how rapamycin-based drug combinations have already been implemented for potential life extension in humans. If you read this article from the very beginning to its end, you may realize that the time is now.
Topics: Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Longevity; Sirolimus
PubMed: 31586989
DOI: 10.18632/aging.102355 -
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular... 2017
Topics: Aging; Animals; Autophagy; Humans; Longevity; Oxidative Stress; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 28337248
DOI: 10.1155/2017/3451528 -
Ageing Research Reviews Jul 2023Epigenetic aging clocks have gained significant attention as a tool for predicting age-related health conditions in clinical and research settings. They have enabled... (Review)
Review
Epigenetic aging clocks have gained significant attention as a tool for predicting age-related health conditions in clinical and research settings. They have enabled geroscientists to study the underlying mechanisms of aging and assess the effectiveness of anti-aging therapies, including diet, exercise and environmental exposures. This review explores the effects of modifiable lifestyle factors' on the global DNA methylation landscape, as seen by aging clocks. We also discuss the underlying mechanisms through which these factors contribute to biological aging and provide comments on what these findings mean for people willing to build an evidence-based pro-longevity lifestyle.
Topics: Humans; Epigenesis, Genetic; Aging; Longevity; DNA Methylation; Diet
PubMed: 37211319
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101956 -
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular... 2018
Topics: DNA Damage; DNA Repair; Epigenomics; Genomic Instability; Humans; Longevity
PubMed: 30302175
DOI: 10.1155/2018/9701647 -
Nature Metabolism Oct 2021Calorie restriction (CR) promotes healthy ageing in diverse species. Recently, it has been shown that fasting for a portion of each day has metabolic benefits and...
Calorie restriction (CR) promotes healthy ageing in diverse species. Recently, it has been shown that fasting for a portion of each day has metabolic benefits and promotes lifespan. These findings complicate the interpretation of rodent CR studies, in which animals typically eat only once per day and rapidly consume their food, which collaterally imposes fasting. Here we show that a prolonged fast is necessary for key metabolic, molecular and geroprotective effects of a CR diet. Using a series of feeding regimens, we dissect the effects of calories and fasting, and proceed to demonstrate that fasting alone recapitulates many of the physiological and molecular effects of CR. Our results shed new light on how both when and how much we eat regulate metabolic health and longevity, and demonstrate that daily prolonged fasting, and not solely reduced caloric intake, is likely responsible for the metabolic and geroprotective benefits of a CR diet.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Caloric Restriction; Longevity; Mice
PubMed: 34663973
DOI: 10.1038/s42255-021-00466-9 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Aging; Humans; Longevity
PubMed: 32982974
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00583