Scientists at the University of Virginia (UVA) have identified a promising approach. slow down aging By detoxifying the body of glycerol and glyceraldehyde, harmful byproducts of fat that naturally accumulate over time.
The new findings come from UVA researcher Dr. Eyleen Jorgelina O’Rourke and her team seeking to identify mechanisms that promote healthy aging and longevity. Their new research suggests a potential way to do so by reducing the health effects of glycerol and glyceraldehyde.
“The finding was unexpected. “The exciting aspect of this discovery is that the key to switching on this longevity mechanism is very well studied for its role in detoxification of ethanol.” is the activation of two enzymes that are [Ethanol is the alcohol contained in beer and bourbon]This existing knowledge will greatly facilitate the search for drugs that can specifically activate this anti-aging process. “
Discovery of anti-aging
In exploring the secrets of slowing aging, O’Rourke and her graduate student Abbas Gaddar and postdoc Vinod Mony NematodeThese soil dwellers share more than 70% of our genes and are invaluable tools for biomedical research. Two Nobel Prizes in Medicine were awarded for discoveries made using only this worm.
Previous aging studies in worm, mouse, and human cells have led O’Rourke and other researchers to conclude that the key to extending lifespan is autophagy, a process that renews broken old parts in cells. I suspected that it was to activate. But O’Rourke and her collaborators were surprised they didn’t need to. 50% Autophagy is not increased at all.
They did this using a mechanism they discovered and named it AMAR, the Sanskrit word for immortality. In this case, AMAR says “aalcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase M.edited aAnti-Aging R.Respond. In short, scientists have discovered that spurring specific genes can boost the anti-aging response. adh-1In doing so, the genes made more of alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that prevents toxicity caused by glycerol and, indirectly, glyceraldehyde. I was able to live a healthy life.
Of course, results obtained in laboratory models such as worms and mice do not always apply to humans. So the researchers took a few more steps to see if their lead was as promising as it looked. Since both fasting and calorie restriction are known to increase healthy lifespan and lifespan, we examined the genetic activity of organisms, including humans, who underwent fasting or calorie restriction. We’ve scrutinized the studies to find out. Sure enough, the scientists found elevated levels of anti-aging enzymes in all mammals tested, including humans.
Scientists suspect that glycerol and glyceraldehyde levels naturally increase over time. may also be useful.
“We hope to draw attention to the development of therapies that target AMARs,” said O’Rourke, a member of UVA’s Robert M. Berne Center for Cardiovascular Research. “Age-related diseases currently pose a significant health burden for patients, their families and the healthcare system, and targeting the aging process itself could reduce this burden and enable all to become self-reliant. It will be the most effective way to increase the number of years you can sustain a healthy life.
Publication of survey results
Researchers published their findings in a scientific journal biology todayThe team includes Abbas Gaddar, Vinod K. Mony, Swarup Mishra, Samuel Berhanu, James C. Johnson, Elisa Enriquez Hesles, Emma Harrison, Arlo Patel, Mary-Kate Horak and Jeffrey Patel. It consisted of S. Smith, O’Rourke. Researchers have no financial interest in the work.
Reference: “Increased Alcohol Dehydrogenase 1 Activity Promotes Longevity” Abbas Gadar, Vinod K. Mony, Swarap Mishra, Samuel Berhanu, James C. Johnson, Elisa Enriquez-Hesles, Emma Harrison, Arlo Patel, Mary Kate Horak , Jeffrey S. Smith and Eyleen J. O’Rourke, 17 February 2023, biology today.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.059
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grants RO1GM075240, RO1GM127394, DK087928, and National Research Service award F30AG067760. Other funders include Pew Charitable Trusts, Jeffress Trust, WM Keck Foundation, Jefferson Scholars Foundation, UVA Fellows Association, Medical Scientist Training Program, and Cellular and Molecular Biology Training Grants.