Advances in Gerontology最新文献

On October 28–31, 2024, there took place the international conference, “Longevity Nation 2024— Enhancing Research, Development and Education for Healthy Longevity” in Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel (http://www.longevitynation.org/). This conference explored the challenges that rise from population aging, from interdisciplinary perspectives that reflect new science and technology, and many social, cultural, political, economic and philosophical concerns that aging raises. By bringing together leading Israeli and international voices in the longevity space—researchers, developers, investors, educators, decision makers and public figures—the Longevity Nation conference aimed to contribute to increasing the synergy of science, technology and aging society, and help advance ethical scientific and technological solutions for healthy longevity for the benefit of the entire society. As the conference emphasized, in this period of conflict in Israel and the Middle East, it is especially important to build up international collaboration as a basis for future positive development.

Current editors of the journal Advances in Gerontology dedicate this short obituary paper to Prof. Vladimir N. Anisimov, one of the most famous and outstanding world gerontologists, the founder of this journal, who passed away on November 16, 2024. Vladimir Anisimov’s research interests and his contributions to both experimental and theoretical gerontology and oncology are briefly described. The authors also share their personal impressions from many years of communication with V.N. Anisimov. It is emphasized that, being an extremely versatile person, Prof. Anisimov was engaged not only in science, but also in literary work, wrote excellent books and verses, was interested in music and fine art. And, perhaps his most important characteristic, he possessed an incredible sense of humor, which the authors consider to be a necessary trait of any outstanding scientist.

The problem of antioxidant efficiency in terms of their impact on “normal” aging and age-related diseases is discussed. It is emphasized that for many years antioxidants were considered the most promising geroprotectors (anti-aging drugs) capable of slowing down aging, treating age-related diseases and increasing both the average and maximum lifespan of animals and humans. However, as noted, in recent years the situation has begun to change dramatically. The methodological aspects of this problem are considered—in particular, the complexity of the correct selection of effective concentrations of such drugs in experimental gerontological studies on both multicellular organisms and cell cultures is emphasized. The literature data is analyzed, indicating that, in many cases, antioxidants, unfortunately, can even be harmful to the body, causing “paradoxical” oxidative stress and suppressing some important physiological functions.

A demographic shift towards an ageing population necessitates a comprehensive examination of the quality of life of the older adults and a new development on aging service as well as gerontology. Current research has shown that virtual reality has the potential to enhance the well-being of them, including those with social isolation. Technology-mediated communication is vital for social connections in society. Virtual technologies enhance social engagement through social virtual reality. These platforms unite users in simulated virtual reality settings, enabling socialization. Contrary to misconceptions, the older adults have demonstrated high levels of engagement with virtual reality. The older adults have elicited positive responses, engagement and enjoyment. This research aims to enhance the well-being of the older adults by understanding their attitudes toward using social virtual reality for their social life. By investigating the older adults’ acceptance of using these applications, all the factors were tested and correlations were found from the Technology Acceptance Model. The findings also reveal that the “Use of Context” strongly influences “Perceived Ease of Use.” Social virtual reality eliminates the need for face-to-face chatting and enables virtual communication and activities to take place among friends. However, there is a comparatively low recognition rate of adoption among the participating elderly. Interaction designers and academics should emphasize the need for human-computer interaction in these applications.

Sleep, as a fundamental requirement for the body’s well-being, plays a crucial role in various essential biological processes. Aging is one of the natural biological processes that affects all functions of the human body. The relationship between sleep and aging has been the subject of significant interest of researchers in recent years. The work discusses modern views on the role of sleep in the aging processes and its geroprotective potential. The work provides data on studying the effect of sleep disorders on hallmarks of aging. The influence of sleep deprivation, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on nine hallmarks of aging according to the classification developed by López-Otín et al., is discussed: genomic instability, telomere attrition, loss of proteostasis, epigenetic alterations, dysregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, stem cell exhaustion, cellular senescence, and altered intracellular communication. Data on somnological biomarkers and their relationship to the brain age index are also provided, and the influence of sleep on the formation of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, is discussed. One of the sections is a review of published data on the significance of circadian rhythms in the development of neurodegeneration and aging processes. The use of light therapy and melatonin is considered as a geroprotective methods. In conclusion, the work discusses the importance of developing the area of gerontosomnology.

Aging is a complex biological process that impacts various systems of the body with changes occurring at molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. One of the key elements in the study of aging is determination of the role of insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and insulin-like binding proteins (IGFBP). IGF, in particular IGF-1, are crucial for the regulation of cell growth, metabolism, and apoptosis. IGFBP, in particular IGFBP-3, modulate the bioavailability of IGFs by binding to them and influencing their receptor interactions. This work outlines the mechanisms of action of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and discusses clinical research findings on their significance in aging, longevity, and the development of age-associated diseases. To investigate the relationship between IGF and IGFBP and aging processes, a search is conducted in the Scopus and PubMed article databases. Basic and clinical studies published primarily between 2010 and 2024 are selected. The search utilized keywords such as “insulin-like growth factors,” “insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins,” “aging,” and “age-associated diseases.”

The work explores the mechanisms by which the gut microbiome influences human aging and associated diseases. We examine age-related changes in the composition of the microbiota and their effects on inflammation, immune response, and intestinal-barrier permeability. Special attention is given to the pathogenic interactions between the gut microbiota and the development of cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases. The role of microbiome imbalance, known as dysbiosis, is highlighted as one of the key mechanisms accelerating the aging process. The review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent studies that demonstrate the impact of microbial metabolites on various systems of the body through the “gut—brain,” “gut—cardiovascular,” and “gut–endocrine brain” axes.

As the global population ages, healthcare systems face increasing challenges in managing the complex health needs of older adults, including multimorbidity, cognitive decline, and frailty. Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant potential to address these challenges by offering advanced tools for personalized health management, disease prediction, and real-time monitoring. This paper reviews key AI applications in gerontology, focusing on its role in analyzing multimodal data such as electronic health records, genomic data, medical imaging, and wearable device metrics. AI’s ability to integrate and analyze these diverse data types enhances the precision of disease management and treatment personalization, particularly in chronic disease care and cognitive function assessment. However, challenges related to data quality, privacy concerns, and model interpretability remain. This review highlights both the transformative potential and the limitations of AI in elderly healthcare, advocating for future research aimed at improving model transparency, scalability, and interdisciplinary integration to enhance geriatric care.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is among the most common neurological diseases. The number of MS affected people is constantly growing worldwide. Untreated MS leads to disability of the most capable part of the population of young age, and in recent years it has been diagnosed more often in elderly patients. The second part of our review is focused on the prospects of MS therapies under development. Mitochondria and the use of mitochodria-targeted antioxidants, neutrophils, as well as immune cells affected by pathology and other specialized cells, which can be reprogrammed and replaced by healthy cells using stem cells, pre-oligodendrocytes able to accelerate maturation and remyelinating ability on the antihistamine action, are considered as targets in MS treatment. Helminth therapy, accompanied by a shift in the composition of the microbiota of MS patients and the release of antioxidants in the tissues of humans and model animals, may lead to immunomodulation and reduction of oxidative stress, providing significant mitigation of the disease. Approaches to the treatment of elderly MS patients are discussed.