Theories of lifespan evolution are a source of confusion amongst aging researchers. After a century of aging research the dispute over whether the aging process is active or passive persists and a comprehensive and universally accepted theoretical model remains elusive. Evolutionary aging theories primarily dispute whether the aging process is exclusively adapted to favor the kin or exclusively non-adapted to favor the individual. Interestingly, contradictory data and theories supporting both exclusively programmed and exclusively non-programmed theories continue to grow. However, this is a false dichotomy; natural selection favors traits resulting in efficient reproduction whether they benefit the individual or the kin. Thus, to understand the evolution of aging, first we must understand the environment-dependent balance between the advantages and disadvantages of extended lifespan in the process of spreading genes. As described by distinct theories, different niches and environmental conditions confer on extended lifespan a range of fitness values varying from highly beneficial to highly detrimental. Here, we considered the range of fitness values for extended lifespan and develop a fitness-based framework for categorizing existing theories. We show that all theories can be classified into four basic types: secondary (beneficial), maladaptive (neutral), assisted death (detrimental), and senemorphic aging (varying between beneficial to detrimental). We anticipate that this classification system will assist with understanding and interpreting aging/death by providing a way of considering theories as members of one of these classes rather than consideration of their individual details.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2013.00025 | DOI Listing |
Sci Transl Med
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Children with neurodegenerative disease often have debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms. We hypothesized that this may be due at least in part to underappreciated degeneration of neurons in the enteric nervous system (ENS), the master regulator of bowel function. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated mouse models of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 1 and 2 (CLN1 and CLN2 disease, respectively), neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders caused by deficiencies in palmitoyl protein thioesterase-1 and tripeptidyl peptidase-1, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging Dis
January 2025
Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo and Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog 1478, Norway.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is marked by extracellular beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intracellular Tau tangles, leading to progressive cognitive decline and neuronal dysfunction. Impaired autophagy, a process by which a cell breaks down and destroys damaged or abnormal proteins and other substances, contributes to AD progression. This study investigated Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1 Group D Member 1 (NR1D1) as a potential therapeutic target for modulating autophagy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 01-142, Poland.
Ultrasmall micro-light-emitting diodes (μLEDs), sized below 10 μm, are indispensable to create the next-generation augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) devices. Their high brightness and low power consumption could not only enhance the user experience by providing vivid and lifelike visuals but also extend device longevity. However, a notable challenge emerges: a decrease in efficiency with a reduced size.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Med
January 2025
Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Prion disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by the misfolding of prion protein (PrP) encoded by the PRNP gene. While there is currently no cure for the disease, depleting PrP in the brain is an established strategy to prevent or stall templated misfolding of PrP. Here we developed in vivo cytosine and adenine base strategies delivered by adeno-associated viruses to permanently modify the PRNP locus to achieve PrP knockdown in the mouse brain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGeroscience
January 2025
Cellular Oncology Group, Biogipuzkoa (Biodonostia) Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain.
Disability and multimorbidity increase with aging and constitute a challenge for the health system. However, different individuals display different aging trajectories, and understanding the underlying relationships between lifespan and disease is fundamental for identifying the different patterns in human lifespan. A previous study explored associations between lifespan and age of onset of diseases of different organ systems, prevalence of escapers, and percentage of life free of disease (health span), comparing them between genders in Catalonian population.
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