Learning objectives
The objective of the ADE is to introduce students to the new discipline of biogerontology as a bridge between basic biological disciplines and clinical disciplines in the fields of geriatrics and pathology.
Prerequisites
None. However, it is strongly recommended to have a good knowledge of general biology, physiology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology.
Course unit content
L'ADE Bio-Gerontologia has the objective of introducing the students of Medicine and Chirurgia to the basic concepts, biology of investment and cosiddetti “Hallmarks of Aging”. The impact of cellular biological mechanisms caused by stress and other environmental/physiological conditions on aging diseases will also be discussed.
Full programme
Although aging itself is not a disease, the aging process represents an important risk factor for several diseases and chronic conditions. During the aging process (chronological age), there is an exponential increase in the risk of developing one or more chronic diseases. These disorders include life-threatening diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as debilitating conditions such as arthritis, fatigue and frailty. Rather than being an inevitable and identical process for all organisms, it is now known that this process can be accelerated or delayed depending on exposure to both environmental and genetic/biological risk or protective factors. This involves the possibility of evaluating not only the chronological age but also the "biological age" of an individual. The question from a biological point of view is: how does the aging process affect the disease process and susceptibility and vice versa? Is it possible (theoretically or practically) to delay and/or reverse the aging process?
Bio-gerontology (or geroscience) is the intersection of the basic biology of aging, chronic disease and health. Over the years, researchers studying bio-gerontology have identified some fundamental biological characteristics that characterize the aging process, known as “hallmarks of aging” or “pillars of aging”. Bio-gerontology therefore does not focus on the description of pathological processes per se, but adopts a different approach, trying to understand the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms - as well as the social and environmental factors that cause them - which make aging a important risk factor and driver of common chronic conditions and diseases of older people.
Bibliography
Gorgoulis V, et al. Cellular Senescence: Defining a Path Forward. Cell. 2019 Oct 31;179(4):813-827. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31675495/
Kennedy BK, et al. Geroscience: linking aging to chronic disease. Cell. 2014 Nov 6;159(4):709-13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25417146/
Kivimäki M, Bartolomucci A, Kawachi I. The multiple roles of life stress in metabolic disorders. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2023 Jan;19(1):10-27. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36224493/
Lee KA, Robbins PD, Camell CD. Intersection of immunometabolism and immunosenescence during aging. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2021 Apr;57:107-116. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33684669/
López-Otín C, et al. Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe. Cell. 2023 Jan 19;186(2):243-278. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36599349
Snyder-Mackler N, et al. Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals. Science. 2020 May 22;368(6493):eaax9553. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32439765/
Teaching methods
Classroom lectures.
Assessment methods and criteria
Attendance at the course is mandatory - any absence must be justified to the teacher.
Students who have followed the entire 10-hour course will be recognized for obtaining the ADE recorded on the exam dates indicated in esse3.
Other information
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