Treating old age
Could your doctor prescribe drugs to assure a healthy lifespan, even in our older years? You just might be able to buy them in a decade or so. Laura Niedernhofer, MD, PhD, who leads the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, explained the new field of geroscience during UMRA’s January 2024 Living Well Workshop. She is a biochemist and physician who works with five other faculty and a large team of graduate students to identify and determine treatments for the biology of aging.
Why does this matter? Most people 65 and older have multiple chronic conditions. For the first time in our history, there will soon be more people over the age of 65 than under, and they will need an increasing number of people to care for them. If we solve a single disease, such as cancer, there are still enough other diseases that it wouldn’t make a dent in the overall picture.
Instead of focusing on one disease, Dr. Niedernhofer and her research team are targeting the risk factor common to most of these conditions, which is age, itself. For example, age is the greatest risk factor in heart disease. Their goal is to increase the healthspan of older adults, not necessarily the lifespan (total number of years lived.)
Senescent cells play a causal role in aging
The team’s focus is on senescent cells, cells that stop replicating or dividing and play a causal role in aging. Senolytics are drugs that are aimed at removing senescent cells. These include many natural products as well as drugs that are already FDA-approved and could be repurposed as gerotherapeutics. At least 40 clinical trials are now in progress nationally to test different senolytics. Dr. Niedernhofer is developing a statewide clinical trial network in Minnesota.
It still is important to eat well (and less, or at least over a shorter time period each day), exercise, avoid smoking, and follow other common healthy living advice.
To learn more about this innovative research into therapeutic approaches to aging, watch the video recording of the webinar. In addition, Dr. Niedernhofer provided a list of books, articles, and podcasts she thinks are valuable.
—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
Therapeutic approaches to aging
Tue, January 16 2024, 11am
Laura Niedernhofer, MD, PhD
Director
U of M Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism
Event to be held via Zoom.
For many of us enjoying retirement, too often our daily lives are interrupted by aches and pains (or worse) that we attribute to age. The aging process seems inevitable. In fact, Laura Niedernhofer, MD, PhD, the guest speaker for UMRA’s January 2024 workshop, says “Being old is the greatest risk factor for most chronic diseases.”
But what if you could take a pill to stop the negative effects of aging?
It may seem like science fiction, but University of Minnesota researchers are exploring therapeutic interventions to treat aging and prevent age-related diseases. Niedernhofer leads the Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism and the Biology of Aging Medical Discovery Team, both in the Medical School. Her research is focused on DNA damage and repair. She and her colleagues are working to extend the period of time we are healthy and independent by slowing or reversing the aging process, itself.
For UMRA’s Living Well Workshop on January 16, Niedernhofer will share her work on the fundamental mechanisms of aging, and the future of pharmaceutics to lessen age-related conditions.
Please register for this webinar via Zoom and join us to learn more. It just might change your life!
—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.