Rattan Suresh I S, Clark Brian F C
Danish Centre for Molecular Gerontology, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
IUBMB Life. 2005 Apr-May;57(4-5):297-304. doi: 10.1080/15216540500092195.
Ageing is characterized by a progressive accumulation of molecular damage in nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. The inefficiency and failure of maintenance, repair and turnover pathways is the main cause of age-related accumulation of damage. Research in molecular gerontology is aimed at understanding the genetic and epigenetic regulation of survival and maintenance mechanisms at the levels of transcription, post-transcriptional processing, post-translational modifications, and interactions among various gene products. Concurrently, several approaches are being tried and tested to modulate ageing in a wide variety of organisms. The ultimate aim of such studies is to improve the quality of human life in old age and prolong the health-span. Various gerontomodulatory approaches include gene therapy, hormonal supplementation, nutritional modulation and intervention by free radical scavengers and other molecules. A recent approach is that of applying hormesis in ageing research and therapy, which is based on the principle of stimulation of maintenance and repair pathways by repeated exposure to mild stress. A combination of molecular, physiological and psychological modulatory approaches can realize "healthy ageing" as an achievable goal in the not-so-distant future.
衰老的特征是核酸、蛋白质和脂质中分子损伤的逐渐积累。维持、修复和更新途径的低效和失败是与年龄相关的损伤积累的主要原因。分子老年学的研究旨在了解转录、转录后加工、翻译后修饰以及各种基因产物之间相互作用水平上生存和维持机制的遗传和表观遗传调控。同时，正在尝试和测试多种方法来调节各种生物体的衰老。此类研究的最终目标是提高老年人的生活质量并延长健康寿命。各种老年调节方法包括基因治疗、激素补充、营养调节以及自由基清除剂和其他分子的干预。最近的一种方法是在衰老研究和治疗中应用 hormesis，它基于通过反复暴露于轻度应激来刺激维持和修复途径的原理。分子、生理和心理调节方法的结合可以在不远的将来实现“健康衰老”这一可实现的目标。
