Epigenetics of Aging

Epigenetics of Aging
Author: Trygve O. Tollefsbol
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 462
Release: 2009-11-11
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1441906398

Recent studies have indicated that epigenetic processes may play a major role in both cellular and organismal aging. These epigenetic processes include not only DNA methylation and histone modifications, but also extend to many other epigenetic mediators such as the polycomb group proteins, chromosomal position effects, and noncoding RNA. The topics of this book range from fundamental changes in DNA methylation in aging to the most recent research on intervention into epigenetic modifications to modulate the aging process. The major topics of epigenetics and aging covered in this book are: 1) DNA methylation and histone modifications in aging; 2) Other epigenetic processes and aging; 3) Impact of epigenetics on aging; 4) Epigenetics of age-related diseases; 5) Epigenetic interventions and aging: and 6) Future directions in epigenetic aging research. The most studied of epigenetic processes, DNA methylation, has been associated with cellular aging and aging of organisms for many years. It is now apparent that both global and gene-specific alterations occur not only in DNA methylation during aging, but also in several histone alterations. Many epigenetic alterations can have an impact on aging processes such as stem cell aging, control of telomerase, modifications of telomeres, and epigenetic drift can impact the aging process as evident in the recent studies of aging monozygotic twins. Numerous age-related diseases are affected by epigenetic mechanisms. For example, recent studies have shown that DNA methylation is altered in Alzheimer’s disease and autoimmunity. Other prevalent diseases that have been associated with age-related epigenetic changes include cancer and diabetes. Paternal age and epigenetic changes appear to have an effect on schizophrenia and epigenetic silencing has been associated with several of the progeroid syndromes of premature aging. Moreover, the impact of dietary or drug intervention into epigenetic processes as they affect normal aging or age-related diseases is becoming increasingly feasible.

The Biology of Senescence

The Biology of Senescence
Author: Alex Comfort
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2010-11-25
Genre:
ISBN: 9781456392420

The Biology of Senescence

Aging of the Genome

Aging of the Genome
Author: Jan Vijg
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2007-01-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0191524581

Aging has long since been ascribed to the gradual accumulation of DNA mutations in the genome of somatic cells. However, it is only recently that the necessary sophisticated technology has been developed to begin testing this theory and its consequences. Vijg critically reviews the concept of genomic instability as a possible universal cause of aging in the context of a new, holistic understanding of genome functioning in complex organisms resulting from recent advances in functional genomics and systems biology. It provides an up-to-date synthesis of current research, as well as a look ahead to the design of strategies to retard or reverse the deleterious effects of aging. This is particularly important in a time when we are urgently trying to unravel the genetic component of aging-related diseases. Moreover, there is a growing public recognition of the imperative of understanding more about the underlying biology of aging, driven by continuing demographic change.

Longevity Genes

Longevity Genes
Author: Gil Atzmon, PhD
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2015-04-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1493924044

The release of the complete version of the human genome sequence in 2003 has paved the way for defining gene function and genetic background for phenotypic variation in humans and allowed us to study the aging process in a new light. This new volume results from that research and focuses on the genetic and epigenetic process of aging. While the interpretation of the genome data is still in its initial stages, this new volume looks at the evolving understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in cellular processes, gene function associated with complex traits, epigenetic components involve in gene control and the creation of hypothesis-free genome-wide approaches. Longevity Genes: A Blueprint for Aging explores the genetic and genomic elements that can maintain a long life such as DNA damage mechanisms, epigenetics and the way we can use this knowledge to generate customized treatments. It touches on some of the multidisciplinary approaches as well as genomic-wide association technology used to analyze complex traits. This book describes the hunt for genes affecting complex traits using a high throughput technology, with adequate consideration for the selection of an appropriate population, applications of statistical genetics and computational biology, and most importantly, considering phenotype-genotype association studies. Longevity Genes provides coverage of not only established aspects of genetics and aging, but also new approaches and perceptions in this important area of research.

Longevity, Senescence, and the Genome

Longevity, Senescence, and the Genome
Author: Caleb E. Finch
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 948
Release: 1994-05-16
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9780226248899

Featuring extensive references, updated for this paperback edition, Longevity, Senescence, and the Genome constitutes a landmark contribution to biomedicine and the evolutionary biology of aging. To enhance gerontology's focus on human age-related dysfunctions, Caleb E. Finch provides a comparative review of all the phyla of organisms, broadening gerontology to intersect with behavioral, developmental, evolutionary, and molecular biology. By comparing species that have different developmental and life spans, Finch proposes an original typology of senescence from rapid to gradual to negligible, and he provides the first multiphyletic calculations of mortality rate constants.

Lifespan

Lifespan
Author: David A. Sinclair
Publisher: Atria Books
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2019-09-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1501191977

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant and enthralling.”​ —The Wall Street Journal A paradigm-shifting book from an acclaimed Harvard Medical School scientist and one of Time’s most influential people. It’s a seemingly undeniable truth that aging is inevitable. But what if everything we’ve been taught to believe about aging is wrong? What if we could choose our lifespan? In this groundbreaking book, Dr. David Sinclair, leading world authority on genetics and longevity, reveals a bold new theory for why we age. As he writes: “Aging is a disease, and that disease is treatable.” This eye-opening and provocative work takes us to the frontlines of research that is pushing the boundaries on our perceived scientific limitations, revealing incredible breakthroughs—many from Dr. David Sinclair’s own lab at Harvard—that demonstrate how we can slow down, or even reverse, aging. The key is activating newly discovered vitality genes, the descendants of an ancient genetic survival circuit that is both the cause of aging and the key to reversing it. Recent experiments in genetic reprogramming suggest that in the near future we may not just be able to feel younger, but actually become younger. Through a page-turning narrative, Dr. Sinclair invites you into the process of scientific discovery and reveals the emerging technologies and simple lifestyle changes—such as intermittent fasting, cold exposure, exercising with the right intensity, and eating less meat—that have been shown to help us live younger and healthier for longer. At once a roadmap for taking charge of our own health destiny and a bold new vision for the future of humankind, Lifespan will forever change the way we think about why we age and what we can do about it.

The Epidemiology of Aging

The Epidemiology of Aging
Author: Anne Newman
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 611
Release: 2012-12-12
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9400750617

The average age of the world’s population is increasing at an unprecedented rate and this increase is changing the world. This “Silver tsunami” emphasizes the need to provide advanced training in epidemiology and increase the cadre of experts in the study of aging. This book is designed to summarize unique methodological issues relevant to the study of aging, biomarkers of aging and the biology/physiology of aging and in-depth discussions of the etiology and epidemiology of common geriatric syndromes and diseases. Contributing authors in the book represent many disciplines, not only epidemiology and clinical geriatrics, but also demography, health services, research, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, psychiatry, neurology, social services, musculoskeletal diseases and cancer. The aim of the book is to provide a broad multidisciplinary background for any student/researcher interested in aging. The material in the book is organized and comprehensive. It represents the most up-to-date information on the scientific issues in aging research written by academics who specialize in research and training in the broad field of aging. The structure and organization of the book reflects our course series in the Epidemiology of Aging starting with the broad issues of demography and methodology, and then addressing specific health conditions and geriatric conditions common to older persons.

Ageless Quest

Ageless Quest
Author: Leonard Guarente
Publisher: CSHL Press
Total Pages: 172
Release: 2003
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 9780879696528

Ageless Questis a personal, sometimes controversial, account of the pursuit of a genetic †̃cure' for aging by an expert in the field. The author is the Novartis Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Aging has always been regarded as a highly complex process with many degenerative changes leading to the cessation of life. But recent research has identified a relatively simple mechanism that governs the pace of aging. Lenny Guarente's Ageless Questis a scientific detective story for the baby boom generation. It offers an insider's view of an area of potentially astonishing high reward—and equally high risk.

Intrinsic mutagenesis

Intrinsic mutagenesis
Author: Burnet MacFarlane
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9401166064

This book is something which almost accidentally has developed very differently from how it was initially planned. The intention was to elaborate the part played by the immune system in ageing with the role of the thymus as central theme. It was to be essentially an expansion of a lecture I gave in 1970 and would inevitably have been concerned with much the same material as Walford's book, The Immunologic Theory of Aging, though from a different slant. What changed its character arose from a series of attempts to find logical connection between two findings that most gerontologists regard as axiomatic: that the lifespan of a mammal is genetically determined, and that the actual process of ageing is an accumulation of genetic error, of somatic mutations. It is possible that the connection is so indirect, circuitous and multiform that generations of detailed and unattractive research will be needed to elucidate it, or, more likely, the whole matter discarded as a non-problem. But a more inspiring approach does seem possible. The working hypothesis, which halfway through its writing became the new central theme of the book, arose when I was a member of a committee appointed by the Australian Academy of Science at the request of the Australian Government to advise on the danger from French nuclear tests in the South Pacific.

The Mature Mind

The Mature Mind
Author: Gene D Cohen
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2008-07-31
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0786721995

The Golden Years are being redefined. The fastest-growing segment of the population, those beyond the age of fifty, are no longer content to simply cope with the losses of age. Mental acuity and vitality are becoming a life-long pursuit. Now, the science of the mind is catching up with the Baby Boom generation. In this landmark book, renowned psychiatrist Gene Cohen challenges the long-held belief that our brain power inevitably declines as we age, and shows that there are actually positive changes taking place in our minds. Based on the latest studies of the brain, as well as moving stories of men and women in the second half of life, The Mature Mind reveals for the first time how we can continue to grow and flourish. Cohen's groundbreaking theory-the first to elaborate on the psychology of later life-describes how the mind gives us "inner pushes" and creates new opportunities for positive change throughout adult life. He shows how we can jump-start that growth at any age and under any circumstances, fine-tuning as we go, actively building brain reserves and new possibilities. The Mature Mind offers a profoundly different and intriguing look at ourselves, challenging old assumptions, raising bold new questions, and providing exciting answers grounded in science and the realities of everyday life.