Metabolic control of aging and metabolism

A range of metabolic alterations accumulate over time often setting off the path to compromised biological fitness and disease. On the other hand, genetic loci linked to exceptional longevity in model organisms and humans are core components of cellular metabolism. The hypercaloric “western” diet dominated by refined sugars and excess fats commonly disturbs metabolic homeostasis driving age-associated pathologies and accelerated aging. Conversely, lifespan-extending interventions including caloric restriction and modulation of nutrient sensing cascades prove beneficial via their pleiotropic effects on metabolism. Each of the hallmarks of aging can be traced to metabolic perturbations meaning that optimising an individual’s metabolic fitness are promising strategies to extend human healthspan.

This collection aims to cover a broad range of themes linking metabolism and lifespan. With the aim to understand the aging process through the lens of metabolism, we welcome studies interrogating basic cellular and genetic mechanisms as well as complex interactions between metabolism and nutrition, lifestyle and environment. The collection seeks to unveil metabolic influences on aging in various systems including in vitro, transgenic models and species with diverse lifespans. The possibility of optimising metabolic fitness via metabolic interventions aimed at promoting healthy aging will also be addressed.

The topics include, but are not limited to:

• Metabolic mechanisms underlying ageing and age-associated pathologies
• Models to study the link between metabolism and the aging process
• Genetic loci contributing to aging or extended lifespan
• Environmental and lifestyle factors attenuating or accelerating the ageing process
• Metabolic disturbance within the hallmarks of aging
• Metabolic interventions that improve longevity