Research Projects

Autophagy, or self-eating, is a crucial process in maintaining a healthy system by degrading unfolded and accumulated proteins. As we age, our functional ability declines at all levels, including cellular, tissue, and organ levels. Immunosenescence increases susceptibility to infections, and the extension in lifespan should be balanced with healthy aging to prevent age-related diseases like heart diseases, Type 2 Diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancers. Understanding and elucidating the molecular genetics of aging is crucial for promoting healthy aging by slowing down the aging process and activating autophagic processes to prevent various diseases that are major causes of hospital stays and deaths. One possible solution is to target the aging process and develop drugs that delay aging. Studies in model organisms suggest that the aging process can be manipulated by environmental and genetic factors, such as lifestyle changes, diet, and pharmaceutical interventions, leading to extended lifespan and better health span. Various drugs, such as metformin, rapamycin, senolytics, spermidine, acarbose, and lithium, have been observed to extend lifespan in various model organisms. The first controlled, randomized clinical trial, Targeting Aging with Metformin (TAME), has recently been approved. This project aims to screen pharmaceutical compounds that can modulate the autophagic process, extending life span and improving health.

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