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, at 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
Meeting to plan books for next year.
There has been a lot in the news recently about the University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Physicians, and Fairview Health Services. Please join us at breakfast on January 8 for a respectful and engaging discussion of their relationship.
The theme for January is great MN views.
52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander will be the selection for discussion when the UMRA Book Club gathers via Zoom for its first monthly meeting of 2026.
Developing a sense of identity is a central psychological task of the lifespan. Memories and stories from our personal past, as well as cultural memories and stories in society play key roles in how we develop our identities. This presentation will discuss psychological theory and research on how memories and stories make us who we are.
When you are of Icelandic descent you can trace your ancestors back to around 1200 and sometimes further.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
Here’s another great opportunity to buy discounted tickets and join your UMRA friends to cheer for the Gophers when the Women’s Basketball team hosts the Purdue Boilermakers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on February 1.
Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate Groundhog Day on Monday, February 2.
UMRA’s special event for this winter will again be a celebration of brighter days and the approaching end of winter. We’ll have food, fellowship, and music provided by Urban Sound, one of the University’s premier student a cappella ensembles.
Family history with Jim Kurle. A tale of Swedish emigration to Dunn County, North Dakota, including my grandfather whose unusual relationship to several churches and religion in general was one of the reasons for his emigrating.
UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity tour on Thursday, February 12, will offer an inside look into the rich resources of the University Libraries Borchert Map Library. Map Librarian Ryan Mattke will showcase the treasures and innovations of one of the largest map libraries in the U.S.
Growing Up by Russell Baker.