bims-longev Biomed News
on Longevity
Issue of 2023–02–26
eleven papers selected by
Andreea Nitescu



  1. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2023 Jan;21(6): 28-34
      The Microbiome Theory of Aging (MTA) explains how microbial imbalance in the intestinal tract, which is also referred to as dysbiosis, causes health problems that accelerate biological aging. The underlying mechanisms involved include increased inflammation, elevated levels of zonulin, destruction of intestinal tight junctions, and intestinal permeability, which allow lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to leak into systemic circulation. LPS is a powerful endotoxin that causes chronic inflammation throughout the body. Chronic inflammation is associated with chronic diseases and the acceleration of biological aging. Postbiotic metabolites are compounds that are created by probiotic bacteria in the colon. Postbiotic metabolites have been called the new frontier in microbiome science due to their key roles in regulating the structure and function of the gut microbiome and many aspects of human health.
  2. Biomed J. 2023 Feb 15. pii: S2319-4170(23)00009-4. [Epub ahead of print]
      Evidence supports the notion that metabolic pathways are major regulators of organismal aging, and that metabolic perturbations can extend health- and lifespan. For this reason, dietary interventions and compounds perturbing metabolism are currently explored as anti-aging strategies. A common target for metabolic interventions delaying aging is cellular senescence, a state of stable growth arrest that is accompanied by various structural and functional changes including the activation of a pro-inflammatory secretome. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the molecular and cellular events associated with carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism, and define how macronutrients can regulate induction or prevention of cellular senescence. We discuss how various dietary interventions can achieve prevention of disease and extension of healthy longevity by partially modulating senescence-associated phenotypes. We also emphasize the importance of developing personalized nutritional interventions that take into account the current health and age status of the individual.
    Keywords:  aging; macronutrients; metabolism; senescence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2023.02.005
  3. Cells. 2023 Feb 06. pii: 527. [Epub ahead of print]12(4):
      Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed particles secreted by cells and circulating in body fluids. Initially considered as a tool to dispose of unnecessary material, they are now considered an additional method to transmit cell signals. Aging is characterized by a progressive impairment of the physiological functions of tissues and organs. The causes of aging are complex and interconnected, but there is consensus that genomic instability, telomere erosion, epigenetic alteration, and defective proteostasis are primary hallmarks of the aging process. Recent studies have provided evidence that many of these primary stresses are associated with an increased release of EVs in cell models, able to spread senescence signals in the recipient cell. Additional investigations on the role of EVs during aging also demonstrated the great potential of EVs for the modulation of age-related phenotypes and for pro-rejuvenation therapies, potentially beneficial for many diseases associated with aging. Here we reviewed the current literature on EV secretion in senescent cell models and in old vs. young individual body fluids, as well as recent studies addressing the potential of EVs from different sources as an anti-aging tool. Although this is a recent field, the robust consensus on the altered EV release in aging suggests that altered EV secretion could be considered an emerging hallmark of aging.
    Keywords:  aging; extracellular vesicles (EVs); senescence; senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP)
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12040527
  4. J Physiol. 2023 Feb 23.
      
    Keywords:  MyomiRs, sarcopenia; aging, exercise
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1113/JP284460
  5. Curr Pharm Des. 2023 Feb 22.
      Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most complicated neurodegenerative diseases causing dementia in human beings. Aside from that incidence of AD is increasing also its treatment is very complicated. There are several known hypotheses regarding the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, including the Amyloid beta hypothesis, Tau hypothesis, inflammation hypothesis, and cholinergic hypothesis, which are investigated in different researches to completely elucidate the pathology of AD. Aside from these some new mechanisms such as immune, endocrine, and vagus pathways, as well as bacteria metabolite secretions are being explained as other causes that are somehow related to AD pathogenesis. There is still no definite treatment for Alzheimer's disease that can completely cure and eradicate AD. Garlic (Allium sativum) is a traditional herb used as a spice in different cultures and due to the organosulfur compounds like allicin it possesses highly anti-oxidant properties and the benefits of garlic in cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and atherosclerosis is examined and reviewed, although its beneficiary effects in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD is not completely understood. In this review, we discuss the effects of garlic based on its components such as allicin, S-allyl cysteine on Alzheimer's disease and the mechanisms that garlic components can be beneficiary for AD patients, including its effects amyloid beta, oxidative stress, tau protein, gene expression, and cholinesterase enzymes. Based on the literature review we have done, garlic has revealed beneficiary effects on Alzheimer's disease, especially in animal studies; however, more studies should be done on human populations to find the exact mechanism of garlic effects on AD patients.
    Keywords:  Alzheimer disease; S-allyl cysteine; allicin; amyloid beta; garlic; tau protein.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612829666230222093016
  6. Biomedicines. 2023 Feb 17. pii: 598. [Epub ahead of print]11(2):
      Human aging is a gradual and adaptive process characterized by a decrease in the homeostatic response, leading to biochemical and molecular changes that are driven by hallmarks of aging, such as oxidative stress (OxS), chronic inflammation, and telomere shortening. One of the diseases associated with the hallmarks of aging, which has a great impact on functionality and quality of life, is sarcopenia. However, the relationship between telomere length, sarcopenia, and age-related mortality has not been extensively studied. Moderate physical exercise has been shown to have a positive effect on sarcopenia, decreasing OxS and inflammation, and inducing protective effects on telomeric DNA. This results in decreased DNA strand breaks, reduced OxS and IA, and activation of repair pathways. Higher levels of physical activity are associated with an apparent increase in telomere length. This review aims to present the current state of the art of knowledge on the effect of physical exercise on telomeric maintenance and activation of repair mechanisms in sarcopenia.
    Keywords:  aging; exercise; oxidative stress; repair mechanisms; sarcopenia; telomeric length
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11020598
  7. Cells. 2023 Feb 04. pii: 519. [Epub ahead of print]12(4):
      Cells survey their environment and need to balance growth and anabolism with stress programmes and catabolism towards maximum cellular bioenergetics economy and survival. Nutrient-responsive pathways, such as the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) interact and cross-talk, continuously, with stress-responsive hubs such as the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to regulate fundamental cellular processes such as transcription, protein translation, lipid and carbohydrate homeostasis. Especially in nutrient stresses or deprivations, cells tune their metabolism accordingly and, crucially, recycle materials through autophagy mechanisms. It has now become apparent that autophagy is pivotal in lifespan, health and cell survival as it is a gatekeeper of clearing damaged macromolecules and organelles and serving as quality assurance mechanism within cells. Autophagy is hard-wired with energy and nutrient levels as well as with damage-response, and yeasts have been instrumental in elucidating such connectivities. In this review, we briefly outline cross-talks and feedback loops that link growth and stress, mainly, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a favourite model in cell and molecular biology.
    Keywords:  S. pombe; ageing; caloric restriction; fission yeast; lifespan; mTOR; rapamycin
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12040519
  8. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jan 27. pii: 288. [Epub ahead of print]12(2):
      Aging is a gradual process that occurs over time which leads to a progressive decline of cells and tissues. Telomere shortening, genetic instability, epigenetic alteration, and the accumulation of misfolded proteins represent the main hallmarks that cause perturbed cellular functions; this occurs in conjunction with the progression of the so-called "aging clocks". Rejuvenation aims to influence the natural evolution of such aging clocks and to enhance regenerative capacity, thus overcoming the limitations of common anti-aging interventions. Current rejuvenation processes are based on heterochronic parabiosis, cell damage dilution through asymmetrical cell division, the excretion of extracellular vesicles, the modulation of genetic instability involving G-quadruplexes and DNA methylation, and cell reprogramming using Yamanaka factors and the actions of antioxidant species. In this context, we reviewed the most recent contributions that report on small molecules acting as senotherapeutics; these molecules act by promoting one or more of the abovementioned processes. Candidate drugs and natural compounds that are being studied as potential rejuvenation therapies act by interfering with CDGSH iron-sulfur domain 2 (CISD2) expression, G-quadruplex structures, DNA methylation, and mitochondrial decay. Moreover, direct and indirect antioxidants have been reported to counteract or revert aging through a combination of mixed mechanisms.
    Keywords:  G-quadruplex; aging clocks; antioxidants; natural compounds; rejuvenation; senotherapeutic
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12020288
  9. Biology (Basel). 2023 Jan 28. pii: 196. [Epub ahead of print]12(2):
      Brain aging is a crucial risk factor for several neurodegenerative disorders and dementia. The most affected cognitive function is memory, worsening early during aging. Inflammation and oxidative stress are known to have a role in pathogenesis of cognitive impairments, and a link exists between aging/frailty and immunosenescence/inflammaging. Based on anti-aging properties, medicinal mushrooms represent a source to develop medicines and functional foods. In particular, Hericium erinaceus (He) displays several actions ranging from boosting the immune system to fighting senescence, due to its active ingredients/metabolites. Among these, Ergothioneine (ERGO) is known as the longevity vitamin. Currently, we demonstrated the efficacy of an ERGO-rich He primordium extract (He2) in preventing cognitive decline in a murine model of aging. We focused on recognition memory deterioration during aging, monitored through spontaneous behavioral tests assessing both memory components and frailty index. A parallel significant decrease in key markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, i.e., IL6, TGFβ1, GFAP, Nrf2, SOD1, COX2, NOS2, was revealed in the hippocampus by immunohistochemistry, accompanied by an enhancement of NMDAR1and mGluR2, crucially involved in glutamatergic neurotransmission. In summary, we disclosed a selective, preventive and neuroprotective effect of He2 on aged hippocampus, both on recognition memory as well on inflammation/oxidative stress/glutamate receptors expression.
    Keywords:  Hericium erinaceus primordium; aging; ergothioneine; frailty; hippocampus; inflammation; medicinal mushroom supplementation; memory; neuroprotection; oxidative stress
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020196
  10. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Feb 28. 120(9): e2215840120
      Biomarkers developed from DNA methylation (DNAm) data are of growing interest as predictors of health outcomes and mortality in older populations. However, it is unknown how epigenetic aging fits within the context of known socioeconomic and behavioral associations with aging-related health outcomes in a large, population-based, and diverse sample. This study uses data from a representative, panel study of US older adults to examine the relationship between DNAm-based age acceleration measures in the prediction of cross-sectional and longitudinal health outcomes and mortality. We examine whether recent improvements to these scores, using principal component (PC)-based measures designed to remove some of the technical noise and unreliability in measurement, improve the predictive capability of these measures. We also examine how well DNAm-based measures perform against well-known predictors of health outcomes such as demographics, SES, and health behaviors. In our sample, age acceleration calculated using "second and third generation clocks," PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE, is consistently a significant predictor of health outcomes including cross-sectional cognitive dysfunction, functional limitations and chronic conditions assessed 2 y after DNAm measurement, and 4-y mortality. PC-based epigenetic age acceleration measures do not significantly change the relationship of DNAm-based age acceleration measures to health outcomes or mortality compared to earlier versions of these measures. While the usefulness of DNAm-based age acceleration as a predictor of later life health outcomes is quite clear, other factors such as demographics, SES, mental health, and health behaviors remain equally, if not more robust, predictors of later life outcomes.
    Keywords:  DNA methylation; aging; biological aging; epigenetic clocks; geroscience
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215840120
  11. Trends Biotechnol. 2023 Feb 21. pii: S0167-7799(23)00049-5. [Epub ahead of print]
      A real-time, noninvasive, and clinically applicable aging test in humans has yet to be established. Herein we propose a sweat- and wearable-based test to determine biological age. This test would empower users to monitor their aging process and take an active role in managing their lifestyle and health.
    Keywords:  aging; sweat diagnostics; wearable sensors
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.02.001