Trojanowski John Q
Institute on Aging, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.
Neurosignals. 2008;16(1):5-10. doi: 10.1159/000109753. Epub 2007 Dec 5.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was entrepreneur, statesman, supporter of the public good as well as inventor, and his most significant invention was the University of Pennsylvania (PENN). Franklin outlined his plans for a college providing practical and classical instruction to prepare youth for real-world pursuits in his 'Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania' (1749), and Franklin's spirit of learning to serve society guides PENN to the present day. This is evidenced by the series of articles in this special issue of Neurosignals, describing research conducted by seasoned and newly recruited PENN faculty, addressing consequences of the longevity revolution which defines our epoch at the dawn of this millennium. While aging affects all organ systems, the nervous system is most critical to successful aging. Thus, the articles in this special issue of Neurosignals focus on research at PENN that is designed to prevent or ameliorate aging-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. This research could enhance our chances of aging successfully in the continuing longevity revolution, and the essay here provides context and background on this research.
本杰明·富兰克林（1706 - 1790）是一位企业家、政治家、公益事业支持者以及发明家，而他最重要的发明当属宾夕法尼亚大学（简称宾大）。富兰克林在其1749年发表的《关于宾夕法尼亚青年教育的提议》中概述了他对一所学院的规划，该学院将提供实用和经典教育，为年轻人投身现实世界的追求做好准备。富兰克林那种学习以服务社会的精神一直指引着宾大直至今日。本期《神经信号》特刊中的一系列文章就证明了这一点，这些文章描述了宾大经验丰富的资深教师以及新入职教师所开展的研究，探讨了长寿革命的影响，这场革命在新千年伊始就定义了我们这个时代。衰老会影响所有器官系统，但神经系统对成功老龄化最为关键。因此，本期《神经信号》特刊中的文章聚焦于宾大旨在预防或改善与衰老相关的神经退行性疾病的研究，比如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病、肌萎缩侧索硬化症和额颞叶痴呆。这项研究能够增加我们在持续的长寿革命中成功老龄化的机会，而本文将为这项研究提供背景和相关情况介绍。
