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In a five-year grant extension, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has allocated $18.5 million to a collaborative team encompassing Benjamin Garcia, the Raymond H. Wittcoff Distinguished Professor and leader of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at WashU Medicine, aimed at facilitating the advancement of novel techniques for identifying genetic components that enhance the health span of long-lived mammals like humans. Garcia and his colleagues at the University of Rochester and other institutions aspire to ascertain which genes and proteins regulate the molecular pathways that are crucial for longevity and to uncover anti-aging strategies that might help ward off maladies such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Over time, DNA undergoes degradation, which can trigger harmful health consequences as organisms age. One such consequence is Alzheimer’s disease, affecting approximately 7 million individuals throughout the U.S. Species with extended lifespans have been observed utilizing their epigenome — modifications of proteins and nucleic acids in their DNA — to shield their genome from decay and its related adverse effects.

Garcia and his team have already identified several pivotal genes that influence longevity in mammals along with their corresponding molecular mechanisms — which includes the revelation of the significance of DNA repair in the longest-lived mammal, the bowhead whale, capable of living beyond 100 years. Grasping how these pathways are regulated to optimally safeguard DNA from aging may present viable targets for treatments that could postpone the emergence of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The article Grant renewal funds research on longevity in mammals  first appeared on The Source.

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