2020 - Linda Partridge

Duration: 1 hour 6 mins

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Description:	Can we cure ageing?

Created:

2020-03-25 10:31

Collection:

Saunders Genetics Lectures

Publisher:

University of Cambridge

Professor Dame Linda Partridge

Language:

eng (English)

Distribution:

World

(not downloadable)

Keywords:

Genetics; Aging; Life Expectancy;

Credits:

Person:	Dr Felipe Karam-Teixeira
Person:	Professor Dame Linda Partridge

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16:9

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Abstract:	Human life expectancy has been increasing steadily in most parts of the world, and we do not know what the limits to human lifespan will prove to be. This improvement in human health is to be celebrated, but it is also revealing ageing to be the major risk factor for multiple age-related diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions. There is therefore increasing interest in the idea that we might intervene in the ageing process itself to prevent multiple age-related conditions simultaneously. Surprisingly, ageing has proved to be a malleable process. Health during ageing can be increased and lifespan extended by genetic and environmental interventions. Some of these, such as dietary restriction and reduced activity of nutrient-sensing signaling networks, can ameliorate the effects of ageing in diverse organisms, possibly including humans. Signalling networks that are responsive to nutrition affect many aspects of organismal function, and altering their activity can therefore have many side-effects, not all of them desirable. In addition, there is extensive feedback in the networks, both within and between different tissues. Understanding the modulations of signalling that can improve health with fewest side-effects is therefore an important goal. This talk will discuss some of the recent discoveries, including the prospect for re-purposing existing drugs to protect against the effects of ageing. The findings are pointing to the prospect of a broad spectrum, preventative medicine for the diseases of human ageing.

Abstract:

Human life expectancy has been increasing steadily in most parts of the world, and we do not know what the limits to human lifespan will prove to be. This improvement in human health is to be celebrated, but it is also revealing ageing to be the major risk factor for multiple age-related diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions. There is therefore increasing interest in the idea that we might intervene in the ageing process itself to prevent multiple age-related conditions simultaneously. Surprisingly, ageing has proved to be a malleable process. Health during ageing can be increased and lifespan extended by genetic and environmental interventions.

Some of these, such as dietary restriction and reduced activity of nutrient-sensing signaling networks, can ameliorate the effects of ageing in diverse organisms, possibly including humans. Signalling networks that are responsive to nutrition affect many aspects of organismal function, and altering their activity can therefore have many side-effects, not all of them desirable. In addition, there is extensive feedback in the networks, both within and between different tissues.

Understanding the modulations of signalling that can improve health with fewest side-effects is therefore an important goal. This talk will discuss some of the recent discoveries, including the prospect for re-purposing existing drugs to protect against the effects of ageing. The findings are pointing to the prospect of a broad spectrum, preventative medicine for the diseases of human ageing.

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2020 - Linda Partridge