Evolution of the Human Lifespan and Diseases of Aging: Roles of Infection, Inflammation, and Nutrition

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Evolution of the Human Lifespan and Diseases of Aging: Roles of Infection, Inflammation, and Nutrition Evolution of the human lifespan and diseases of aging: Roles of infection, inflammation, and nutrition Caleb E. Finch1 Davis School of Gerontology and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 Edited by Stephen Curtis Stearns, Yale University, New Haven, CT, and accepted by the Editorial Board October 12, 2009 (received for review August 25, 2009) Humans have evolved much longer lifespans than the great apes, 11) (Fig. 1). In healthy populations of humans and lab animals, which rarely exceed 50 years. Since 1800, lifespans have doubled the acceleration of mortality is preceded by increasing morbidity again, largely due to improvements in environment, food, and med- from chronic degenerative disease (2, 10). For wild chimpan- icine that minimized mortality at earlier ages. Infections cause most zees, typical early mortality rates are 20% per year in infancy, mortality in wild chimpanzees and in traditional forager-farmers within the range of hunter-gatherers, then decreasing to a qmin with limited access to modern medicine. Although we know little of about 3.5% per year in preadult ages. The chimpanzee life of the diseases of aging under premodern conditions, in captivity, expectancy at birth (LE0) is about 13 years, whereas those chimpanzees present a lower incidence of cancer, ischemic heart reaching adulthood (age 15) have about 15 years of further life disease, and neurodegeneration than current human populations. expectancy (6, 11) (Table 1). Very few have survived beyond age These major differences in pathology of aging are discussed in 50, even in captivity with modern veterinary care (13). In con- terms of genes that mediate infection, inflammation, and nutrition. trast, human mortality after the early years is much greater, with Apolipoprotein E alleles are proposed as a prototype of pleiotropic >2-fold longer LE0 and >3-fold lower qmin, even with limited fl ’ genes, which in uence immune responses, arterial and Alzheimer s access to medicine (Table 1). Since 1800, the LE0 in developed disease, and brain development. nations rose progressively to >70 years. Only recently has sur- vival to >90 been well documented; currently, centenarians are chimpanzee | pathology about 0.01%–0.02% in developed nations (14). Two key factors in human life expectancy are the delayed mortality rate accel- umans have the longest life spans of any primate. Even under eration and lower qmin (Fig. 1). The qmin merits attention in the conditions of high mortality experienced by hunter- human evolution (10): even in populations with high infectious H burdens and neonatal mortality, the human q is >50% lower foragers, the human life expectancy at birth (LE0) is twice that of min wild chimpanzees. This inquiry considers the demographics and than wild chimpanzees (Table 1). As discussed later, this appa- pathology of aging in humans and great apes as an approach to rent species difference may be due to stronger immune re- understanding how aging processes evolved with longer life- sponses. Since 1800, the industrialized countries have further spans. I argue that immune functions and nutrition have been of lowered qmin by 25-fold (12). major importance in the evolution of aging and longevity. Causes of Mortality. There is frustratingly little information on Evolving Demographics of Aging diseases of aging in wild chimpanzees and in hunter-foragers for comparison with modern populations. The following summary The human LE0 has doubled during over an evolutionary span of about 300,000 generations from a great ape ancestor shared with necessarilyincludesindividual observations aswell aslargerstudies. chimpanzees (1, 2). Then during the last 200 years during in- Infections. The main cause of mortality throughout human evolu- tion until the 20th century must have beeninfections, asobserved in dustrialization and in <10 generations, the LE0 has doubled again (3, 4), allowing major increases in older ages. The lifespans of wild chimpanzees and 20th-century hunter-foragers. Longitudinal intermediate species during human evolution cannot be known, studies of the Gombe chimpanzees (Tanzania) since 1960 by Goodall and colleagues identified infections in the majority of because the spotty skeletal evidence at hand allows only general deaths (67%) for all ages (Table 2) (15). The oldest individuals estimates of age classes. According to tooth wear, early modern frequently had prolonged diarrhea (16, p 104). Infected wounds H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis had a larger proportion of from accidents or fighting were also a common secondary cause of older adults than prior Homo species and Australopithecus (5). death (see note to Table 2). The accelerating mortality rates of Turningfrom thehugegapbeforehistorical times,wemaymodel chimpanzees soon after age 20 (Fig. 1) implies decreasing resist- earlier H. sapiens demographics by preindustrial populations for ance to infections with aging, as well as synergies of infections with which there is good demographic data: Sweden from 1751 (3, 4) other myocardial damage, discussed below. and 20th-century hunter-foragers (6–8). Both lived under un- The Gombe chimpanzees cannot be considered a pristine pop- hygienic conditions with high burdens of infection and limited ulation because of their exposure to pathogens from local humans access to effective medicine. Their high mortality at early ages of and domestic animals (e.g., mange, polio, and tuberculosis). A 10%–30% restricted the LE to 30–40 years. Despite low survival, 0 recent SIVcpz infection (chimpanzee-derived simian immuno- half of those reaching age 20 reached 60 (LE of 40 years). Thus, 20 deficiency virus) has been transmitted vertically and horizontally, most hunter-gatherers survive beyond menopause, unlike wild with >10-fold higher mortality in carriers and lower fertility and chimpanzees (7–9). The greater survival to later ages allowed the evolution of stable multigenerational support of the young, a uniquely human trait among primates (7–9). This paper results from the Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium of the National Academy of Mortality across the lifespan forms a J-shaped curve in most Sciences, “Evolution in Health and Medicine” held April 2–3, 2009, at the National Academy mammalian populations: the high early age mortality declines to a of Sciences in Washington, DC. The complete program and audio filesofmostpresentations minimum (qmin) at the approach of adulthood, followed at are available on the NAS web site at www.nasonline.org/Sackler_Evolution_Health_Medicine. midlife by exponential accelerations of mortality in association Author contributions: C.E.F. wrote the paper. with increased chronic degenerative disease and dysfunctions The authors declare no conflict of interest. that collectively define senescence (2, 10). Humans differ from This article is a PNAS Direct Submission. S.C.S. is a guest editor invited by the wild chimpanzees by their lower mortality in juvenile and adult Editorial Board. ages, and by the later onset of mortality rate acceleration (6, 8, 1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cefi[email protected]. 1718–1724 u PNAS u January 26, 2010 u vol. 107 u suppl. 1 www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0909606106 Downloaded by guest on September 26, 2021 100 deaths. In national data for England and Wales of 1861, for Ache example, infections caused 25% of female deaths before age 40 90 Hadza (24). Almost all deaths before age 5 were due to infections (9, 24, 80 Hiwi 25). The much lower qmin for humans than chimpanzees (Table 1) 70 )%( s )%( !Kung suggests corresponding differences of immunological functions, 60 as described later. Data on cause of death for juvenile ages are r Chimp ovivruS 50 needed to evaluate the contribution to mortality from trans- missible infections, septic wounds from in-group aggression and 40 accidents, and from predation to which subadults are more vul- 30 nerable by smaller size and lack of experience. 20 Exposure to chronic infections and inflammation has major fi 10 rami cations for aging processes through 2 main fronts: immu- nosenescence and synergies with chronic diseases that have 0 fl 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 in ammatory components. In brief, immunosenescence involves Age depletion of the limited pool of naïve T cells acquired during maturation. During antigenic exposure across life, the pool of − memory T cell (CD8+ CD28 T cells) increases progressively, at 22 Ache F least in part from antigenic stimulation by common infections e.g., 20 CMV, HSV, influenza (2, 26–28). A subgroup of elderly with the Ache M 18 “immune risk” phenotype for higher mortality have relative de- + 16 Chimp F pletion of CD28 T cells and memory T cells with telomere ero- )Y/%( ytilatroM launnA ytilatroM )Y/%( sion, increased cytokine expression, and other markers of cellular 14 Chimp M immunosenescence. Because HIV is associated with accelerated 12 memory T-cell accumulation and frailty (29), it is predicted that 10 immunosenescence will be accelerated in the hunter-gatherers 8 with high infectious loads (Table 2). 6 The associations of high early mortality and shorter life 4 expectancy in historical populations give important clues to early human evolution in highly infectious environments. Crimmins and 2 I examined Sweden and several other 19th-century European 0 populations that had high early age mortality from infections. The 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 correlations of mortality before age 5 with mortality at age 70 were Age much stronger for birth cohorts than for the periods (5, 25). We proposed a "cohort morbidity hypothesis" in which survivors of Fig. 1. Demographic comparisons of wild chimpanzees with human pop- early infections carried higher inflammatory loads, which promote ulations living under poor hygiene and with little access to medicine. [Re- chronic diseases with inflammatory components, such as car- produced with permission from ref. 6 (Copyright 2000, John Wiley & Sons).] fi diovascular disease. Atherosclerosis, for example, begins before (A) Survival curves.
Recommended publications
  • Pathologic Thr175 Tau Phosphorylation in CTE and CTE with ALS
    Published Ahead of Print on January 3, 2018 as 10.1212/WNL.0000000000004899 ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS Pathologic Thr175 tau phosphorylation in CTE and CTE with ALS Alexander J. Moszczynski, PhD, Wendy Strong, BSc, Kathy Xu, MSc, Ann McKee, MD, Arthur Brown, PhD, Correspondence and Michael J. Strong, MD Dr. M.J. Strong [email protected] Neurology® 2018;90:e1-8. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000004899 Abstract Objective To investigate whether chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and CTE with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (CTE-ALS) exhibit features previously observed in other tauopathies of pathologic phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau at Thr175 (pThr175 tau) and Thr231 (pThr231 tau), and glycogen synthase kinase–3β (GSK3β) activation, and whether these pathologic features are a consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods Tau isoform expression was assayed by western blot in 6 stage III CTE cases. We also used immunohistochemistry to analyze 5 cases each of CTE, CTE-ALS, and 5 controls for ex- pression of activated GSK3β, pThr175 tau, pThr231 tau, and oligomerized tau within spinal cord tissue and hippocampus. Using a rat model of moderate TBI, we assessed tau pathology and phospho-GSK3β expression at 3 months postinjury. Results CTE and CTE-ALS are characterized by the presence of all 6 tau isoforms in both soluble and insoluble tau isolates. Activated GSK3β, pThr175 tau, pThr231 tau, and oligomerized tau protein expression was observed in hippocampal neurons and spinal motor neurons. We observed tau neuronal pathology (fibrillar inclusions and axonal damage) and increased levels of pThr175 tau and activated GSK3β in moderate TBI rats. Conclusions Pathologic phosphorylation of tau at Thr175 and Thr231 and activation of GSK3β are features of the tauopathy of CTE and CTE-ALS.
    [Show full text]
  • Immune Effector Mechanisms and Designer Vaccines Stewart Sell Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY, USA
    EXPERT REVIEW OF VACCINES https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2019.1674144 REVIEW How vaccines work: immune effector mechanisms and designer vaccines Stewart Sell Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY, USA ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Introduction: Three major advances have led to increase in length and quality of human life: Received 6 June 2019 increased food production, improved sanitation and induction of specific adaptive immune Accepted 25 September 2019 responses to infectious agents (vaccination). Which has had the most impact is subject to debate. KEYWORDS The number and variety of infections agents and the mechanisms that they have evolved to allow Vaccines; immune effector them to colonize humans remained mysterious and confusing until the last 50 years. Since then mechanisms; toxin science has developed complex and largely successful ways to immunize against many of these neutralization; receptor infections. blockade; anaphylactic Areas covered: Six specific immune defense mechanisms have been identified. neutralization, cytolytic, reactions; antibody- immune complex, anaphylactic, T-cytotoxicity, and delayed hypersensitivity. The role of each of these mediated cytolysis; immune immune effector mechanisms in immune responses induced by vaccination against specific infectious complex reactions; T-cell- mediated cytotoxicity; agents is the subject of this review. delayed hypersensitivity Expertopinion: In the past development of specific vaccines for infections agents was largely by trial and error. With an understanding of the natural history of an infection and the effective immune response to it, one can select the method of vaccination that will elicit the appropriate immune effector mechanisms (designer vaccines). These may act to prevent infection (prevention) or eliminate an established on ongoing infection (therapeutic).
    [Show full text]
  • Investigation of Anti-Iglon5-Induced Neurodegenerative Changes in Human Neurons
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.27.269795; this version posted August 28, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. Manuscript BioRxiv Investigation of anti-IgLON5-induced neurodegenerative changes in human neurons Mattias Gamre1,2, Matias Ryding1,2, Mette Scheller Nissen1,2,3, Anna Christine Nilsson4, Morten Meyer1,2,5, Morten Blaabjerg1,2,3,5 1Neurobiological Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 2Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Odense, Denmark 3Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark 4Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark 5BRIDGE – Brain Research Inter-Disciplinary Guided Excellence, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark Number of pages: 12 Number of figures: 4 Keywords: IgLON5, Autoimmune encephalitis, neurodegeneration, inflammation, Tau Corresponding author Professor Morten Blaabjerg, MD, PhD Department of Neurology Odense University Hospital J.B. Winsløws Vej 4 5000 Odense C Denmark Phone: (+45) 6541 2457 E-mail: [email protected] Page 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.27.269795; this version posted August 28, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
    [Show full text]
  • Jeanne Calment's Daughter Has Usurped Her
    – 1– Translated with DeepL translator from the original French article in Médecine/Sciences (Vol. 35, issue 4, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1051/medsci/2019065) and corrected by the author when necessary. English cited texts are copied from the original source. “Jeanne Calment’s daughter has usurped her mother’s identity”: an amateur work or scientific research? Éric Le Bourg Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI Toulouse), University of Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France [email protected] Summary The press has widely reported on the questioning, by so-called “Russian researchers”, of Jeanne Calment’s longevity. The hypothesis put forward by these researchers is that Jeanne’s daughter, Yvonne, replaced her dead mother in 1934, and that the 122-year longevity established by French researchers would in fact be 99 years. Given the media coverage of this hypothesis, and INSERM’s (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) position on this issue, this article examines the various arguments and recalls the criteria for any scientific work, none of which is satisfied in the work of “Russian researchers”. Translated from the original French article in Médecine/Sciences (Vol. 35, issue 4, 2019) – 2– At the end of 2018 and in the beginning of 2019, the press became passionate about a study by “Russian researchers” (sic) suggesting that Jeanne Calment1 did not die in 1997 at 122 years of age but in 1934 at the age of 59. Her daughter, Yvonne, 36 years old at the time, would, in fact, have replaced her mother, which would explain her 122 years lifespan, which would only be 99.
    [Show full text]
  • An Autopsy Case of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy with Incidental
    Letters Discussion | This pilot study successfully explored the effect size 3. Korte J-M, Kaila T, Saari KM. Systemic bioavailability and cardiopulmonary of timolol eyedrops on migraine headaches. Several partici- effects of 0.5% timolol eyedrops. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2002;240 (6):430-435. pants responded extremely well to the timolol. Further re- 4. Migliazzo CV, Hagan JC III. Beta blocker eyedrops for treatment of acute search is needed to determine what patient factors might pre- migraine. Mo Med. 2014;111(4):283-288. dict responsiveness to timolol. 5. Chiam PJT. Topical beta-blocker treatment for migraine. Int Ophthalmol. 2012; 32(1):85-88. Limitations. Study limitations include a small sample size, a 6. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society. lack of investigator masking, and an imperfect placebo, as The international classification of headache disorders, 3rd edition (beta artificial tears tend to cause less of a burning sensation than version). https://www.ichd-3.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/International -Headache-Classification-III-ICHD-III-2013-Beta-1.pdf. Accessed June 1, 2016. timolol. With a half-life of 4 hours, timolol ophthalmic is unlikely to have had an association with repeated head- aches or beyond the 3-day washout period. Four 50-μL drops of timolol, 0.5%, represent 1 mg of timolol, which An Autopsy Case of Progressive Supranuclear compares with an oral prophylactic dosage of 10 to 30 mg of Palsy With Incidental ATXN2 Expansion timolol daily. Future research should aim for a target enroll- A case of multiple system atrophy with predominant parkin- ment of more than 86 participants and explore optimal dos- sonism (MSA-P) with ATXN2 (OMIM 601517) expansion was ing regimens.
    [Show full text]
  • The Neuropathology Data Form
    The Neuropathology Data Form ADC subject ID: Completed by: 1. MDS/UDS patient ID PTID 2. Date form completed (MM/DD/ YYYY) NPFORMMO / NPFORMDY / NPFORMYR 3. Neuropath ID NPID 4. Sex NPSEX 1 Male (CHECK ONE) 2 Female 5. Age at death NPDAGE years 6. Date of death (MM/ DD/ YYYY) NPDODMO / NPDODDY / NPDODYR 7. Postmortem interval (PMI): time between death . hours (99.9 = unknown) and brain removal NPPMIH 8. Fixative NPFIX 1 Formalin 2 Paraformaldehyde 7 Other (SPECIFY): NPFIXX 9. GROSS FINDINGS a. Whole brain weight (if half brain, multiply grams (9999 = unknown) weight by two) NPWBRWT b. Does the value in Question 9a represent 1 Fresh 2 Fixed 8 Not applicable fresh or fixed weight? (CHECK ONE) NPWBRF c. Severity of gross findings Not Missing/ (CHECK ONE BOX PER ROW) None Mild Moderate Severe assessed unknown 1. Cerebral cortex atrophy NPGRCCA 0 1 2 3 8 9 Lobar atrophy (significant frontal and/or 2. 0 1 Yes 8 9 temporal atrophy) NPGRLA 3. Hippocampus atrophy NPGRHA 0 1 2 3 8 9 4. Substantia nigra hypopigmentation NPGRSNH 1 2 3 8 9 5. L. ceruleus hypopigmentation NPGRLCH 0 1 2 3 8 9 6. Atherosclerosis (of the circle of Willis) NPAVAS 1 2 3 8 9 Copyright© 2006, 2008, 2014 University of Washington. Created and published by the Neuropathology Steering ommittee of the ADC Program and the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (Walter A. Kukull, PhD, Director). All rights reserved. This publication was funded by the National Institutes of Health through the National Institute on Aging (Cooperative Agreement U01 AG016976).
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of Genetic Modifiers in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias Due to SPAST/SPG4 Mutations Livia Parodi
    Identification of genetic modifiers in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias due to SPAST/SPG4 mutations Livia Parodi To cite this version: Livia Parodi. Identification of genetic modifiers in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias due to SPAST/SPG4 mutations. Human health and pathology. Sorbonne Université, 2019. English. NNT : 2019SORUS317. tel-03141229 HAL Id: tel-03141229 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-03141229 Submitted on 15 Feb 2021 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Sorbonne Université Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière École Doctorale Cerveau-Cognition-Comportement Thèse de doctorat en Neurosciences Identification of genetic modifiers in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias due to SPAST/SPG4 mutations Soutenue le 9 octobre 2019 par Livia Parodi Membres du jury : Pr Bruno Stankoff Président Pr Lesley Jones Rapporteur Dr Susanne de Bot Rapporteur Pr Christel Depienne Examinateur Pr Cyril Goizet Examinateur Pr Alexandra Durr Directeur de thèse Table of contents Abbreviations _________________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • And Α-Synuclein Pathology in a Case of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia SPG7 with an Ala510val Mutation
    Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2015, 16, 25050-25066; doi:10.3390/ijms161025050 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Molecular Sciences ISSN 1422-0067 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms Article Abnormal Paraplegin Expression in Swollen Neurites, τ- and α-Synuclein Pathology in a Case of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia SPG7 with an Ala510Val Mutation Dietmar R. Thal 1,2,*, Stephan Züchner 3,4, Stephan Gierer 5, Claudia Schulte 6,7, Ludger Schöls 6,7, Rebecca Schüle 3,6,7,† and Matthis Synofzik 5,6,†,* 1 Laboratory of Neuropathology—Institute of Pathology, Center of Clinical Research, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany 2 Department of Neuroscience, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium 3 Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA; E-Mails: [email protected] (S.Z.); [email protected] (R.S.) 4 John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA 5 Outpatient Praxis for Neurology, D-89407 Dillingen, Germany; E-Mail: [email protected] 6 Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, University of Tübingen, 72077 Tübingen, Germany; E-Mails: [email protected] (C.S.); [email protected] (L.S.) 7 German Research Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany † These authors contributed equally to this work. * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: [email protected] (D.R.T.); [email protected] (M.S.); Tel.: +32-16-3-44047 (D.R.T); +49-7071-298-2060 (M.S.); Fax: +32-16-3-36548 (D.R.T); +49-7071-2925-0001 (M.S.).
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Autopsy Findings of Mr. George H. Johnson, 112 Yo Male
    “Extreme Longevity: Secrets on the Oldest Old” by L. Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D., Director Supercentenarian Research Foundation UCLA Molecular Biology Institute 817 Levering Avenue, Suite 8 Los Angeles, CA 90024-2767; USA E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; URLs: www.grg.org; www.supercentenarian-research-foundation.org; Wednesday, June 8, 2011; [2:00 – 2:30] PM CDT OECD Conference Melia Reforma Hotel; Mexico City, DF; MEXICO June 8, 2011 Supercentenarians Slide 1. Blind Men Touching the Elephant Aging/Senescence – Energy (photons from the sun) Sexual Reproduction vs. Damage Repair (Reboot OS: “No babies are born old”) Nature‟s Objective Function: Minimize Species Extinction within an ecosystem s.t. Environmental Constraints (Entropy) (Antagonistic Pleiotropy)(Recessive/Dominant Genes) June 8, 2011 Supercentenarians Slide 2. Blind Men Theories of Aging • Evolutionary Theory -- Disposable Soma[Tom Kirkwood]/ Immortality of the Germ Line -- Sponges/Sea Anemonies • Genomic Drift {DNA Mutations: Deletions, Insertions, Substitutions, Double-Strand Breaks}Epigenomic Drift{CH3; C2H5} • Protein Misfolding- Chaperone Failure in Rough ER; Recycling • ROS; Oxidative Stress (Collagen Crosslinking; Glycation) SOD Zn/Mn; Glutathione; Catalase {2H2O2 2H2O + O2} CR • Mitochondrial Theory [sarcopenia; frailty] • Neurological (hypothalamic clocks {circadian [diurnal]; lunar [menstruation]; puberty/menopause/andropause}) • Endocrinological [ACTH, TSH, hGH, LH, FSH,…] • Immunological {thymic involution; autoimmunity; IL-x; inflammation; interstitial pneumonia; aspiration pneumonia} • Stem-Cell Depletion [telomere erosion; deafness/blindness] Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM); Trophic Factors; Cytokines • Lipofusin Accumulation and other undigestable garbage June 8, 2011 Supercentenarians Slide 3. Metaphor with Aging: Alchemy Chemistry (Periodic Table of the Elements) Goal: Transmutation of Base Metals into Gold or Silver Science June 8, 2011 Supercentenarians Slide 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Alzheimer Disease and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Hans Zempel1,3* and Eva-Maria Mandelkow1,2,3*
    Zempel and Mandelkow Molecular Neurodegeneration (2015) 10:68 DOI 10.1186/s13024-015-0064-1 REVIEW Open Access Tau missorting and spastin-induced microtubule disruption in neurodegeneration: Alzheimer Disease and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Hans Zempel1,3* and Eva-Maria Mandelkow1,2,3* Abstract In Alzheimer Disease (AD), the mechanistic connection of the two major pathological hallmarks, namely deposition of Amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the form of extracellular plaques, and the pathological changes of the intracellular protein Tau (such as phosphorylation, missorting, aggregation), is not well understood. Genetic evidence from AD and Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), and animal models thereof, suggests that aberrant production of Aβ is upstream of Tau aggregation, but also points to Tau as a critical effector in the pathological process. Yet, the cascade of events leading from increased levels of Aβ to Tau-dependent toxicity remains a matter of debate. Using primary neurons exposed to oligomeric forms of Aβ, we have found that Tau becomes mislocalized (missorted) into the somatodendritic compartment. Missorting of Tau correlates with loss of microtubules and downstream consequences such as loss of mature spines, loss of synaptic activity, and mislocalization of mitochondria. In this cascade, missorting of Tau induces mislocalization of TTLL6 (Tubulin-Tyrosine-Ligase-Like 6) into the dendrites. TTLL6 induces polyglutamylation of microtubules, which acts as a trigger for spastin mediated severing of dendritic microtubules. Loss of microtubules makes cells unable to maintain transport of mitochondria, which in turn results in synaptic dysfunction and loss of mature spines. These pathological changes are absent in TauKO derived primary neurons. Thus, Tau mediated mislocalization of TTLL6 and spastin activation reveals a pathological gain of function for Tau and spastin in this cellular model system of AD.
    [Show full text]
  • No Metagenomic Evidence of Causative Viral Pathogens in Postencephalitic Parkinsonism Following Encephalitis Lethargica
    microorganisms Communication No Metagenomic Evidence of Causative Viral Pathogens in Postencephalitic Parkinsonism Following Encephalitis Lethargica Dániel Cadar 1 , Kurt A. Jellinger 2, Peter Riederer 3, Sabrina Strobel 4, Camelia-Maria Monoranu 4 and Dennis Tappe 1,* 1 Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; [email protected] 2 Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, 1090 Vienna, Austria; [email protected] 3 Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; [email protected] 4 Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Pathology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; [email protected] (S.S.); [email protected] (C.-M.M.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Postencephalitic parkinsonism (PEP) is a disease of unknown etiology and pathophysiol- ogy following encephalitis lethargica (EL), an acute-onset polioencephalitis of cryptic cause in the 1920s. PEP is a tauopathy with multisystem neuronal loss and gliosis, clinically characterized by bradykinesia, rigidity, rest tremor, and oculogyric crises. Though a viral cause of EL is likely, past polymerase chain reaction-based investigations in the etiology of both PEP and EL were negative. PEP might be caused directly by an unknown viral pathogen or the consequence of a post-infectious im- munopathology. The development of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in conjunction with Citation: Cadar, D.; Jellinger, K.A.; bioinformatic techniques has generated a broad-range tool for the detection of unknown pathogens Riederer, P.; Strobel, S.; Monoranu, C.-M.; Tappe, D. No Metagenomic in the recent past. Retrospective identification and characterization of pathogens responsible for past Evidence of Causative Viral infectious diseases can be successfully performed with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) Pathogens in Postencephalitic tissue samples.
    [Show full text]
  • Living Beyond the Age of 100
    No.FEBRU ARY365 2001 Living beyond the age of 100 Jacques Vallin and France Meslé* umanity has always been fascinated by extreme was not very accurately stated by the census, especial- Hlongevity. According to the Bible, the first man, ly as concerns the black population, for which births Adam, lived 930 years, and some of his descendents were seldom registered. lived even longer: Enoch died at 965, and Methuselah, In fact, until recent years, it was quite unlikely for the champion of them all, lived to 969! Of course, these anyone to ever live to much more than a hundred. are all legends. The Bible is full of epic stories and the Today, however, there are several thousand centenari- image of these age-old patriarchs who lived before the ans, and we know with near certainty that at least one flood is meant to stir imagination, not to reflect reality. woman, the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment (1), lived After the flood, the patriarchs began to die at more to the age of 122 [1]. Does this mean that human reasonable ages: Abraham lived to the age of 275, Isaac longevity is on the increase? died at 180, Jacob at 147, Joseph at 110, etc. In more recent times, many stories went around Indications of increasing longevity about men and women who were said to have lived well over a hundred years, in the Caucasus or in some The study of the oldest ages at death over a period of remote valleys of the Andes, or even in the American several centuries in a country like Sweden which has state of Georgia.
    [Show full text]