TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic studies reveal the role of the endocrine and metabolic systems in aging
AU - Barzilai, Nir
AU - Gabriely, Ilan
N1 - Funding Information:
This work has been supported by grants from the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholar in Aging Award ; the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award ; the Glenn Award for Research in Biological Mechanisms of Aging, Resnick Gerontology Center ; National Institutes of Health Grants RO1 AG-18728-01A1 , RO1 AG024391 , PO1 AG027734 , and RO1 AG7992 ; General Clinical Research Center Grant MO1-RR12248 ; and Diabetes Research and Training Center Grant DK 20541 , the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - Aging is a natural process that involves a general decline in many physiological functions, resulting in loss of function and eventually death. Extensive research is being performed in order to elucidate the biology of aging, especially with the advent of newer molecular and genetic methodologies. The endocrine system plays a major role in orchestrating cellular interactions, metabolism, growth, and senescence. Thus, researchers traditionally used hormones as tools to induce and examine specific biological effects that are associated with aging. Furthermore, because our recent knowledge on hormonal action expanded significantly, downstream pathways and genetic determinants currently prevail in aging research. In this review, we will summarize the effects of several hormones on human aging and longevity and present recent data from the Longevity Genes Study performed at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, looking at the phenotype and genotype of centenarians and their offspring. We will demonstrate that genetic factors that are associated with human longevity are heritable and may contribute not only to quantitative longevity but also to protection from age-dependent disease and exceptional good health.
AB - Aging is a natural process that involves a general decline in many physiological functions, resulting in loss of function and eventually death. Extensive research is being performed in order to elucidate the biology of aging, especially with the advent of newer molecular and genetic methodologies. The endocrine system plays a major role in orchestrating cellular interactions, metabolism, growth, and senescence. Thus, researchers traditionally used hormones as tools to induce and examine specific biological effects that are associated with aging. Furthermore, because our recent knowledge on hormonal action expanded significantly, downstream pathways and genetic determinants currently prevail in aging research. In this review, we will summarize the effects of several hormones on human aging and longevity and present recent data from the Longevity Genes Study performed at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, looking at the phenotype and genotype of centenarians and their offspring. We will demonstrate that genetic factors that are associated with human longevity are heritable and may contribute not only to quantitative longevity but also to protection from age-dependent disease and exceptional good health.
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U2 - 10.1210/jc.2010-0859
DO - 10.1210/jc.2010-0859
M3 - Review article
C2 - 20926537
AN - SCOPUS:77957759265
SN - 0021-972X
VL - 95
SP - 4493
EP - 4500
JO - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
JF - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
IS - 10
ER -