The Buck Institute launches Geroscience, a new interdisciplinary field focused on the interface of normal aging and age-related disease. Researchers will employ novel approaches to studying diseases in the context of aging.
A recent study showed that exercise, specifically resistance training, can reverse the genetic fingerprint of aging in healthy senior citizens. After six months of twice-weekly resistance training, older adults' mitochondrial function and muscle strength improved significantly, with some even surpassing those of younger adults.
Researchers have identified more than 200 new proteins that bind to normal and mutant forms of the protein causing Huntington’s disease. The study suggests these proteins may be potential drug targets for treating the incurable disease, which affects 30,000 Americans annually.
Researchers discovered that eliminating checkpoint proteins in microscopic worms increased their lifespan by 15-30%. This finding raises questions about the potential link between genetic variations in checkpoint proteins and cancer risk in humans. The study opens new avenues of inquiry into aging and cancer prevention.
Research by Dr. Lisa Ellerby at the Buck Institute suggests that calpain, a naturally occurring enzyme, plays a key role in Huntington's disease progression. The study uses post-mortem tissue and cell culture models to show that calpain activation is involved in brain damage.
New drug targets have been identified by Buck Institute researcher Vivian Hook, Ph.D., that could help treat Alzheimer's Disease. The targets participate in producing the toxic beta-amyloid peptide, which accumulates to form plaques in the brain.
Researchers have identified a new form of programmed cell death called paraptosis, characterized by the formation of vacuoles and mitochondrial swelling. This alternative pathway may offer novel therapeutic targets for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers have successfully increased normal life span in nematode worms through the use of synthetic catalytic scavengers, a new class of antioxidant drugs. The treatment extended mean life spans by approximately 50% and prevented early death in a mutant strain linked to oxidative stress.