Link Between Sirtuins And Life xtension Strengthened By Study

A new paper from IT biology professor Leonard Guarente strengthens the link between longevity proteins called sirtuins and the lifespan-extending effects of calorie restriction

For decades, it has been known that cutting normal calorie consumption by 30 to 40 percent can boost lifespan and improve overall health in animals such as worms and mice Guarente believes that those effects are controlled by sirtuinsproteins that keep cells alive and healthy in the face of stress by coordinating a variety of hormonal networks, regulatory proteins and other genes

In his latest work, published Dec 15 in the journal Genes and Development, Guarente adds to his case by reporting that sirtuins bring about the effects of calorie restriction on a brain system, known as the somatotropic signaling axis, that controls growth and influences lifespan length

“This puts SIRT1 at a nexus connecting the effects of diet and the somatropic signaling axis,” says Guarente “This is a major shot across the bow that says sirtuins really are involved in fundamental aspects of calorie restriction”

Guarente and others believe that drugs that boost sirtuin production could help fight diseases of aging such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s, improving health in later life and potentially extending lifespan Drugs that promote sirtuin production are now in clinical trials in diabetes patients, with results expected next year

How they did it: The researchers genetically engineered mice whose ability to produce the major mammalian sirtuin SIRT1 in the brain was greatly reduced Those mice and normal mice were placed on a calorie-restricted diet The normal mice showed much lower levels of circulating growth hormones, demonstrating that their somatotropic signaling system was impaired, but calorie restriction had no effect on hormone levels of mice that could not produce SIRT1

Next steps: In future work, Guarente plans to investigate the mechanism by which sirtuins regulate the somatotropic axis The work could also help researchers and companies in their search for small molecules that modulate sirtuins for maximum benefit

Notes:
“Neuronal SIRT1 regulates endocrine and behavioral responses to calorie restriction,” Dena ohen, Leonard Guarente et al Genes and Development, Dec 15, 2009
Funding: HDI Inc, the Hereditary Disease Foundation, the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the Paul F Glenn Foundation
Written by Anne Trafton, IT News Office

Source: Jen Hirsch
assachusetts Institute of Technology

source : www.medicalnewstoday.com

Related News:

• Shea May Slow Arthritis
• Ortho Kinematics Launches Multi-Site Clinical Study Of KineGraph VMA™
• Middle school students co-author research on enzyme for activating promising disease-fighters
• Sea Buckthorn May Soothe Dry Eye Syndrome
• Cerebral Palsy Study Dispels Inflated Costs And Biases
• Proposed Lowering Of PSA Threshold For Biopsy Could Result In Increased Overdiagnosis And Overtreatment Of Prostate Cancer, Study
• Neurobiologists Can Now Activate Specific Nerve Cells To Study The Association Between Sensations And Negative Experiences
• NPS Pharmaceuticals Announces Completion Of Patient Randomization In Phase 3 STEPS Study Of GATTEX(R) In Short Bowel Syndrome
• Celiacs Need Vitamins To Help Stave Off Bone Disease
• Pool chemicals linked to disease

Details :
Submited at Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 1:00 pm on Pathology by chuck
Comment RSS 2.0 - leave a comment - trackback