Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
Rejuvenation Res. 2013 Aug;16(4):304-12. doi: 10.1089/rej.2013.1441.
Discovering the genetic origin of aging-related traits could greatly advance strategies aiming to extend health span. The results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) addressing this problem are controversial, and new genetic concepts have been fostered to advance the progress in the field. A limitation of GWAS and new genetic concepts is that they do not thoroughly address specifics of aging-related traits. Integration of theoretical concepts in genetics and aging research with empirical evidence from different disciplines highlights the conceptual problems in studies of genetic origin of aging-related traits. To address these problems, novel approaches of systemic nature are required. These approaches should adopt the non-deterministic nature of linkage of genes with aging-related traits and, consequently, reinforce research strategies for improving our understanding of mechanisms shaping genetic effects on these traits. Investigation of mechanisms will help determine conditions that activate specific genetic variants or profiles and explore to what extent these conditions that shape genetic effects are conserved across human lives and generations.
发现与衰老相关特征的遗传起源,可以极大地推动旨在延长健康寿命的策略。解决这个问题的全基因组关联研究(GWAS)的结果存在争议,为了推动该领域的进展,出现了新的遗传概念。GWAS 和新的遗传概念的一个局限性是,它们没有彻底解决与衰老相关特征的具体问题。将遗传学和衰老研究的理论概念与不同学科的经验证据相结合,突出了遗传起源研究中与衰老相关特征相关的概念问题。为了解决这些问题,需要采用系统性质的新方法。这些方法应该采用基因与衰老相关特征之间的联系的非确定性性质,并因此加强改善我们对影响这些特征的遗传机制的理解的研究策略。对机制的研究将有助于确定激活特定遗传变异或特征的条件,并探讨在多大程度上这些影响遗传的条件在人类的生命和代际中是保守的。