Genetics of Aging
How to Modulate Longevity Hawaii Style

Date:   July 25 (Wed),  2018

Time:   18:00~19:30

Location:  Osaka University Graduate School of Human Sciences
                 1F International Cafe

Speaker:  Associate Professor Richard Allsopp
                (University of Hawai‘i)

        * This seminar will be presented in English.

The aging process is complex, being influenced by both lifestyle choices and our individual DNA or genetic makeup. I will discuss 2 genetic factors that have been shown to influence aging- telomeres and the FOXO3 gene. Both of these factors have been shown to affect the rate of aging in a number of different species. Telomeres are genetic factors that protect the ends of chromosomes. The length of telomeres decreases gradually as we age, putting the stability of our DNA at increasing jeopardy. The FOXO3 gene encodes a protein that plays an important regulatory role in response to a number of different forms of stress that we are exposed to. Ten years ago we identified a rare version of the FOXO3 gene that protects against aging, and increases the odds of living to 100 by 2-3 fold. We now know that this protective version of the FOXO3 gene promotes longevity primarily by decreasing incidence of death due to cardiovascular disease. More recently, we have shown that these 2 genetic factors which influence aging – telomeres and the FOXO3 gene – do not interact independently. Specifically, carriers of the protective version of the FOXO3 gene do not show signs of telomere shortening during aging.