Biology of Aging

Prerequisite: BIOL 121 and BIOL 122 and BIOL 200 and BIOL 265 Aging is a fundamental biological process. It is the major risk factor for age-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and arthritis, just to name a few. As life expectancy has been steadily increasing since the 20th century, these diseases have become the leading causes of death. Recent research has identified universal mechanisms that regulate organismal aging and impact all organ systems. Several gene networks that can regulate the rate of aging and multiple age-related diseases have already been discovered. These mechanisms are conserved throughout evolution and many key insights have been garnered from simple model organisms. Manipulation of these networks has been achieved by diet, genetic engineering, and most recently, with drugs. The goal of modern medicine is to increase healthy survival, as opposed to simply longevity. It is now generally acknowledged that increasing health span – the fraction of our life spans free of frailty and debilitating chronic disease – has become a realistic goal. This course will examine the new concept of "geroscience" – the molecular, cellular and genetic foundations of the biology of aging, and how this knowledge can be applied to therapies for age-associated diseases. Course material will be based on the primary research literature. Prerequisites are a background in cell biology, molecular biology and genetics. Offered alternate spring semesters.