Project description
Revealing metabolic processes to prolong healthy lifespan
The world’s aging population poses a significant burden on healthcare, societies and economies due to the prevalence of age-associated diseases. While reduced caloric intake and increased exercise have shown potential in improving the health of seniors, there is a need for more effective methods. In line with this goal, the EU-funded MetaFlex project aims to identify new pathways for anti-ageing treatments and shed light on the connection between metabolism and ageing. The project builds upon recent discoveries regarding the dysregulation of fat metabolism in aged mice, which leads to weight gain and glucose intolerance. Through experimental research, the project will investigate how the breakdown of nutrients can enhance metabolic flexibility, ultimately supporting healthy ageing.
Objective
Aging has long been considered a passive process. More recently studies have defined an important, active role for metabolic pathways in aging and age-related diseases. I have previously demonstrated a marked dysregulation of fat metabolism in aged mice that contributes to their overweight and glucose intolerance. Here, I propose a model that links healthy aging to efficient processing of nutrients, a state termed metabolic flexibility: reducing protein or carbohydrate metabolism will strongly stimulate fat breakdown. I suggest that improved metabolic flexibility will thus prevent the accumulation of lipids and protect against its detrimental effects.
In this project, I aim to elucidate how nutrient breakdown is regulated and can be adapted to improve metabolic flexibility and promote healthy aging. I will use C. elegans, as well as mammalian models and human population studies. Specifically, I aim to (1) dissect the molecular actors of metabolic aging pathways; (2) identify genes that translate nutritional cues to lifespan variation; (3) find novel genetic regulators that prevent toxicity and accelerated aging caused by fat-rich diets; (4) identify associations between variants in genes involved in metabolic flexibility and aging phenotypes in humans.
This set of experiments should clarify the role of nutrient breakdown and metabolic flexibility in aging. Better understanding of these processes can lead to a prolonged healthy state of aged individuals.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutrition
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculescarbohydrates
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryamines
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Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting GrantHost institution
1105AZ Amsterdam
Netherlands