 |
|
Profile of the Aging Kidney: PLoS Biology Press Release
November 23, 2004A Global View of Gene Expression in the Aging Kidney
Four years ago in Science, Stuart Kim, a Stanford University developmental biologist, made the case for describing the broad strokes of a complex physiological process before defining its mechanisms. "A powerful, top-down, holistic approach," he wrote, "is to identify all of the components of a particular cellular process, so that one can define the global picture first and then use it as a framework to understand how the individual components of the process fit together." To get a broad view of gene expression in the developing nematode, Kim's lab turned to DNA microarray technology. In a new study, Kim and colleagues apply this same approach to the decidedly more complex problem of human aging and "present a molecular portrait" of the aging kidney.
Kidneys came from 74 patients, ranging in age from 27 to 92. Samples were extracted from donated kidneys or "meticulously harvested" from kidneys with localized disease to ensure only normal tissue was taken. Samples were obtained from two structures that are critical to kidney function: the renal cortex, which filters plasma, and the medulla, which alters urine composition to maintain fluid balance. Both deteriorate with age.
Kim and colleagues then used DNA microarrays to determine the activity of every gene in all the kidney samples. Of 33,000 known human genes on the microarray, 985 showed age-related changes.
Although cortex and medulla have different cell types and perform different functions, their genetic aging profile was very similar, suggesting a common aging mechanism operates in both structures. In fact, these mechanisms may function broadly, as most of the age-regulated kidney genes were also active in a wide range of human tissues. Other organisms appear to lack these changes, however, prompting the authors to argue that understanding aging in humans will require human subjects.
Most importantly, the genetic profile of the tissue samples correlated with the physiological decline of an aging kidney. An 81-year-old patient with an unusually healthy kidney had a molecular profile typical of someone much younger, while a 78-year-old with a less healthy kidney had the profile of a much older person. Using the power of functional genomics, this study has identified a set of genes that can serve as molecular markers for various stages of a deteriorating kidney. These gene sets can also serve as probes to shed light on the molecular pathways at work in the aging kidney, and possibly on the process of aging itself.
Citation: Kim S, Rodwell G, Sonu R, Zahn J, Lund J, et al. (2004) A Transcriptional Profile of Aging in the Human Kidney. PLoS Biol 2 (12): e427.
The published article will be accessible to your readers at: http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020427
Press-only preview of the article: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-kim.pdf
Related image for press use: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-kim.jpg
Caption for image: Genome-wide analysis of aging in the human kidney. Photo illustration by Rebecca Sonu and Emily Crane.
CONTACT:
Stuart Kim
Stanford University School of Medicine
Beckman Ctr. B300
Stanford, CA USA 94305
+1-650-725-7612
+1-650-725-7739 (fax)
kim@cmgm.stanford.edu
*****************************
THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH ARTICLES WILL ALSO BE PUBLISHED ONLINE:
Secreted Bacterial Effectors and Host- Produced Eiger/TNF Drive Death in a Salmonella-Infected Fruit Fly
A lethal infection of Drosophila is abrogated by removing a secreted Salmonella effector, demonstrating that the fly's immune system, which although initially protective, is subsequently harmful to the host.
Citation: Brandt S, Dionne M, Khush R, Pham L, Vigdal T, et al. (2004) Secreted Bacterial Effectors and Host- Produced Eiger/TNF Drive Death in a Salmonella-Infected Fruit Fly. PLoS Biol 2 (12): e418.
The published article will be accessible to your readers at:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020418
Press-only preview of the article: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-schneider.pdf
CONTACT:
David Schneider
Stanford University
299 Campus Drive
Stanford, CA USA 94304-5124
+1-650-724-8063
+1-650-725-6757 (fax)
dschneider@stanford.edu
*****************************
Drosophila Spastin Regulates Synaptic Microtubule Networks and Is Required for Normal Motor Function
Kai Zinn and colleagues use loss- and gain-of function mutations to study the Drosophila homologue of a gene mutated in human autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Citation: Sherwood N, Sun Q, Xue M, Zhang B, Zinn K (2004) Drosophila Spastin Regulates Synaptic Microtubule Networks and Is Required for Normal Motor Function. PLoS Biol 2 (12): e429.
The published article will be accessible to your readers at:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020429
Press-only preview of the article: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-zinn.pdf
CONTACT:
Kai Zinn
California Institute of Technology
Broad Center, 114-96
1200 E. California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA USA 91125
+1-626-395-8315
zinnk@caltech.edu
*****************************
Modern Humans Did Not Admix with Neanderthals during Their Range Expansion into Europe
A model of human expansion into Europe reveals almost complete sterility between Neanderthal females and modern human males, implying that the two populations were probably distinct biological species.
Citation: Currat M, Excoffier L (2004) Modern Humans Did Not Admix with Neanderthals during Their Range Expansion into Europe. PLoS Biol 2 (12): e421.
The published article will be accessible to your readers at:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020421
Press-only preview of the article: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-excoffier.pdf
CONTACT:
Laurent Excoffier
Zoological Institute
Baltzerstrasse 6
Bern, Switzerland 3012
+33-4-99-62-33-42
+33-4-99-62-33-45 (fax)
laurent.excoffier@zoo.unibe.ch
*****************************
Replication of Norovirus in Cell Culture Reveals a Tropism for Dendritic Cells and Macrophages
Noroviruses-which cause epidemic gastroenteritis-can now be grown in cells of the innate immune system, providing a tool to examine this pathogen while offering insights into norovirus biology.
Citation: Wobus C, Karst S, Thackray L, Chang K, Sosnovtsev S, et al. (2004) Replication of Norovirus in Cell Culture Reveals a Tropism for Dendritic Cells and Macrophages. PLoS Bio 2 (12): e432.
The published article will be accessible to your readers at:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020432
Press-only preview of the article: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-virgin.pdf
CONTACT:
Herbert Virgin
Washington University School of Medicine
660 S. Euclid Ave
St. Louis, MO USA 63110
+1-314-362-9223
+1-314-362-4096 (fax)
virgin@immunology.wustl.edu
*****************************
In Silico Reconstitution of Listeria Propulsion Exhibits Nano-Saltation
A detailed computer simulation explicitly simulates monomer-scale biochemical and mechanical interactions to characterize bacterial motion.
Citation: Alberts J, Odell G (2004) In Silico Reconstitution of Listeria Propulsion Exhibits Nano-Saltation. PLoS Biol 2 (12): e412.
The published article will be accessible to your readers at:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020412
Press-only preview of the article: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-alberts.pdf
CONTACT:
Jonathan Alberts
University of Washington
620 University Rd
Friday Harbor, WA USA 98250
+206-616-0895
+206-616-6804 (fax)
jalberts@u.washington.edu
*****************************
Patterns of Intron Gain and Loss in Fungi
A comparative study of four fungal genomes reveals the patterns of intron gain and loss over several hundred million years of evolution.
Citation: Nielsen C, Friedman B, Birren B, Burge C, Galagan J (2004) Patterns of Intron Gain and Loss in Fungi. PLoS Biol 2 (12): e422.
The published article will be accessible to your readers at:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020422
Press-only preview of the article: http://www.plos.org/downloads/plbi-02-12-galagan.pdf
CONTACT:
James Galagan
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
320 Charles Street
Cambridge, MA CA 02142
+1-617-258-0479
jgalag@mit.edu
Public Library Of Science
Aging Current Events and Aging News RSSChildren with cystic fibrosis not well covered by guidelines for vitamin D needs
Existing recommendations for treating vitamin D deficiency in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are too low to cover the serious need, leaving most at high risk for bone loss and rickets, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
'Smile doctors' create, restore and enhance patients' smiles
Imagine not having the ability to return the smile of a loved one or being too embarrassed by your mouth's appearance to display a smile.
Waterborne disease risk upped in Great Lakes
An anticipated increased incidence of climate-related extreme rainfall events in the Great Lakes region may raise the public health risk for the 40 million people who depend on the lakes for their drinking water, according to a new study.
Circadian clock may be critical for remembering what you learn, Stanford researchers say
The circadian rhythm that quietly pulses inside us all, guiding our daily cycle from sleep to wakefulness and back to sleep again, may be doing much more than just that simple metronomic task, according to Stanford researchers.
Case Western Reserve University research finds drug candidate slows age-related macular degeneration
Research results from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine show that the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is markedly slowed in new laboratory-engineered mice when they received treatments of retinylamine, a trial drug that has been tested in a medical school lab.
Anti-cancer drug prevents, reverses cardiovascular damage in mouse model of premature aging disorder
An experimental anti-cancer drug can prevent -- and even reverse -- potentially fatal cardiovascular damage in a mouse model of progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes the most dramatic form of human premature aging, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers reported today.
Emerging model organisms featured in CSH Protocols
Biological research has long relied on a small number of model organisms, species chosen because they are amenable to laboratory research and suitable for the study of a range of biological problems.
When cells go bad
When a cell's chromosomes lose their ends, the cell usually kills itself to stem the genetic damage. But University of Utah biologists discovered how those cells can evade suicide and start down the path to cancer.
New study proves that pain is not a symptom of arthritis, pain causes arthritis
Pain is more than a symptom of osteoarthritis, it is an inherent and damaging part of the disease itself, according to a study published today in journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
Restless nights put older adults at risk for depression recurrence
Nearly 60 percent of the nation's elderly have trouble sleeping, whether it's a lot of tossing and turning or outright bouts of insomnia. While for most people sleeplessness can be annoying at best or unhealthy at worst, for elderly individuals who have suffered from depression in the past, poor sleep may be the first sign that a new bout of depression is coming on.
More Aging Current Events and Aging News Articles
 | The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Reverse Stress Aging and Reveal More Youthful, Beautiful Skin by Amy Wechsler It’s not your age that’s causing half of those lines and crinkles. It’s your life. Now, Amy Wechsler, MD shows you how to de-stress your skin and take years—years—off your face. In 9 days. Liking the way you look is vital to your health and happiness. But that’s not easy when life runs at warp speed—you’re simultaneously coping with ever-increasing demands: dependent... |
 | Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being by Andrew Weil In each of his widely acclaimed, best-selling books, Dr. Andrew Weil has been an authoritative and companionable guide through a uniquely effective combination of traditional and nontraditional approaches to health and healthy living. Now he gives us a book about aging that is unlike any other. Drawing on the new science of biogerontology (the biology of aging) as well as on the secrets of... |
 | Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development by George E. Vaillant Now in paperback, the acclaimed bestseller that reveals the scientific secrets to ensuring that our golden years are truly golden. Based on the longest and most complete study of adult development in the world, AGING WELL draws from the individual histories of 824 men and women from a variety of backgrounds to illustrate the most important factors involved in reaching and enjoying a happy,... |
 | Adult Development and Aging by John C. Cavanaugh, Fredda Blanchard-Fields Written within a biopsychosocial framework, Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields' best-selling text covers the specific ages-stages of adult development and aging. In its unparalleled coverage of current research and theory, the authors draw clear connections between research and application. The book's focus on "positive aging" and the gains and losses people experience across adulthood distinguish it... |
 | Reverse Aging (Chinese) by Sang Whang This a Chinese translation of the best selling science and health book "Reverse Aging" (0966236319), sold on... |
 | Aging With Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives by David Snowdon In 1986 Dr. David Snowdon, one of the world’s leading experts on Alzheimer’s disease, embarked on a revolutionary scientific study that would forever change the way we view aging—and ultimately living. Dubbed the “Nun Study” because it involves a unique population of 678 Catholic sisters, this remarkable long-term research project has made headlines worldwide with its provocative... |
 | Aging and The Life Course: An Introduction to Social Gerontology by Jill Quadagno This groundbreaking text is the first to take a life course perspective, examining the relationship between the quality of one's life in old age and one’s experiences, earlier choices, opportunities, and constraints. The text gives students a broad background for understanding current policy debates through a distinctive chapter entitled "Old Age and the Welfare State" (Chapter 11) and through... |
 | Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime by Aubrey de Grey, Michael Rae With a New AfterwordMust We Age?Nearly all scientists who study the biology of aging agree that we will someday be able to substantially slow down the aging process, extending our productive, youthful lives. Dr. Aubrey de Grey is perhaps the most bullish of all such researchers. As has been reported in media outlets ranging from 60 Minutes to The New York Times, Dr. de Grey believes that the key... |
 | Aging, the Individual, and Society by Susan M. Hillier, Georgia M. Barrow In the coming years, understanding senior citizens will be more important than it's ever been. Are you ready? AGING, THE INDIVIDUAL, AND SOCIETY introduces you to gerontology in a compassionate way that helps you understand them and know how to work with them. It's balanced between academic and practical discussions, and packed with study tools. That way, you'll ace the class and be ready for the... |
 | How to Care for Aging Parents (Morris, How to Care for Aging) by Virginia Morris, Robert M. Butler The best and bestselling book of its kind. Originally published in 1995, How to Care for Aging Parents, with 220,000 copies in print, won a Books for a Better Life Award and was praised as "an indispensable book" (AARP) and "a compassionate guide of encyclopedic proportion" (The Washington Post). It also catapulted its author, Virginia Morris, to national prominence as a recognized eldercare... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |