TY - JOUR
T1 - Pharmacology of delayed aging and extended lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans
AU - Collins, James J.
AU - Evason, Kimberley
AU - Kornfeld, Kerry
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Shin Imai, Mike Nonet, and Tim Schedl for helpful suggestions and the National Science Foundation, the Longer Life Foundation, and the Ellison Medical Foundation for financial support.
PY - 2006/10
Y1 - 2006/10
N2 - The identification and analysis of compounds that delay aging and extend lifespan is an important aspect of gerontology research; these studies can test theories of aging, lead to the discovery of endogenous systems that influence aging, and establish the foundation for treatments that might delay normal human aging. Here we review studies using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to identify and characterize compounds that delay aging and extend lifespan. These studies are considered in four groups: (1) Studies that address the free-radical theory of aging by analyzing candidate compounds with antioxidant activities including vitamin E, tocotrienols, coenzyme Q, and Eukarion-8/134. (2) Studies that analyze plant extracts (blueberry and Ginko biloba) that contain a mixture of compounds. (3) Studies of resveratrol, which was identified in a screen for compounds that affect the activity of the Sir2 protein that influences lifespan. (4) Studies based on screening compound libraries using C. elegans aging as a bioassay, which led to the identification of the anticonvulsant medicines ethosuximide and trimethadione. There has been exciting progress in the analysis of compounds that influence C. elegans aging, and important challenges and opportunities remain in determining the mechanisms of action of these compounds and the relevance of these observations to aging of other animals.
AB - The identification and analysis of compounds that delay aging and extend lifespan is an important aspect of gerontology research; these studies can test theories of aging, lead to the discovery of endogenous systems that influence aging, and establish the foundation for treatments that might delay normal human aging. Here we review studies using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to identify and characterize compounds that delay aging and extend lifespan. These studies are considered in four groups: (1) Studies that address the free-radical theory of aging by analyzing candidate compounds with antioxidant activities including vitamin E, tocotrienols, coenzyme Q, and Eukarion-8/134. (2) Studies that analyze plant extracts (blueberry and Ginko biloba) that contain a mixture of compounds. (3) Studies of resveratrol, which was identified in a screen for compounds that affect the activity of the Sir2 protein that influences lifespan. (4) Studies based on screening compound libraries using C. elegans aging as a bioassay, which led to the identification of the anticonvulsant medicines ethosuximide and trimethadione. There has been exciting progress in the analysis of compounds that influence C. elegans aging, and important challenges and opportunities remain in determining the mechanisms of action of these compounds and the relevance of these observations to aging of other animals.
KW - Aging
KW - C. elegans
KW - Lifespan
KW - Pharmacology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33751421981&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.exger.2006.06.038
DO - 10.1016/j.exger.2006.06.038
M3 - Article
C2 - 16872777
AN - SCOPUS:33751421981
SN - 0531-5565
VL - 41
SP - 1032
EP - 1039
JO - Experimental Gerontology
JF - Experimental Gerontology
IS - 10
ER -