Here are some of my favorite fun facts in this area :
Caloric restriction has been known for decades to cause lifespan increase in lower organisms, but we've never really known why. This pathway however shed lots of light when it was elucidated. Since DAF-2 is homologous with the insulin/IGF receptor, it provides a mechanistic link between nutrient status and recycling/repair pathways in the cell that are thought to cleanup intracellular junk.
But even more evidence has come forward! Some stunning work by the Panda lab has demonstrated that intermittent fasting can also boost lifespan, and this benefit can be completely separated from calorie count! His lab has shown that restricting mealtimes itself is sufficient to promote longevity even if the calorie intake is the same as with control animals. The time restricted mice are also lean, which sheds some interesting perspectives on obesity research :)
The last interesting evidence has come forward with methionine restriction studies. In these experiments, mice are fed a diet in which the amino acid methionine is restricted, but all else is equal. These mice benefit from dramatic improvements in longevity and are also incredibly lean towards the end of their life. Whats going on?
Methionine is the amino acid that starts every single protein, so without it, the body cannot synthesize new proteins unless it is scavenged from other existing proteins. This potentially turns up the same recycling pathways that were elucidated in the DAF-2/DAF-16 pathway! But this remains to be determined.
In short, we always thought that calories were all that mattered in metabolic syndrome and aging, but maybe the true answers are much more specific!
There are some interesting possibilities like the increase of expression in Apo-B proteins for lipids mobilization due to accute environmental stress like intermittent fasting. Is an area where big and quality studies are lacking. I'm particularly interested in mitochondrial responses to stress. The fog is starting to disappear but we'll see. Thanks for stopping by.
Great thoughts on Apolipoproteins. I so want to learn much more about them. They seem to be key links to everything don't they?
Interesting. Is the research into all this being funded adequately? I'm looking into ways to get more private funding to life-extension research.
No it most definitely isn't! I certainly don't work in a lab anymore. $30k is not enough to live on ;)
Check out lifespan.io
I agree there is most definitely a piece we've yet to discover. I am most interested in seeing the link between caloric restriction and senesence. As far as I understand, there's a link between death caused by 'natural causes' and senesence.
I think you are right. Companies like Unity Biotechnology are also making this bet with tons of backing as well.
Good to know. I look forward to any additional info you might have on this subject. Thank you for the info.