Over the course of the project, our team identified biomarkers of aging, new mechanisms of aging, and potential dietary and pharmacological interventions to promote healthy aging at least in model organisms.
Biomarkers:
Biomarkers are important to track the development of aging or age-related disease in individuals. It might help to identify individuals who would benefit from interventions. We used lab worms (C. elegans) and tissues from mice in which we performed analysis of metabolic compounds, including fats and amino acids. We found signatures of aging in these worms/tissues that can discriminate between young and aged individuals. We are currently testing if these signatures also apply to older humans. Moreover, it enabled us to develop new treatments and identify new mechanisms.
Mechanisms:
We previously found a gene that, when shut down, extends lifespan in worms by 60%. We only partly understood how this worked and investigated it further. We found that there is an important role for protein synthesis is this process, but also that it's influenced by the shape and form of mitochondria, the powerhouse of our cells. We also established new mechanisms that explain the susceptibility to fat diets in worms. We found a specific gene that renders worms protected against the harmful effects of such a fat diet, but follow-up work will need to confirm if the same applies to humans.
Interventions:
From our biomarker screens in worms we found that the amino acid glycine accumulated with age. We tested if this was the cause for or consequence of aging by supplementing glycine to worm. Such supplementation led to a marked extension of lifespan, suggesting that glycine has a protective effect. We also did a computer-based test to identify pharmacological compounds that could prolong lifespan. Through this approach we found a specific muscle relaxant that extends the lifespan in worms. Although this is unlikely to work the same in humans, it provides new leads for research into alternative approaches that might work in humans too.
