Theme Leader :
Yoshitaka Kondo, Ph.D.
Adjunct Researcher :
Maki Takami, Ph.D.
healthy longevity, aging regulation, nutrition, diet, macronutrient, protein, metabolic health, frailty, dementia, vitamin C, ascorbic acid, senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30), gluconolactonase, antioxidant, epigenetics, DNA demethylation, senescent cells.
The molecular regulation of aging aims to achieve healthy longevity by unraveling the relationship between nutrition and aging.
A well-balanced diet has long been recommended as a secret to longevity. However, what exactly is a well-balanced diet? Lately, much attention has been paid to the relationship between the caloric ratio of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) and health, aging, and longevity. Recently, we have found that the optimal dietary protein ratio for maintaining metabolic health in mice toward old age is 25%-35%. We are now exploring whether getting the right balance of macronutrients can help prevent problems such as frailty, muscle loss, and dementia, and increase the number of healthy years.
We also focus on the relationship between aging and vitamin C. We have independently generated vitamin C synthesis-deficient mice (SMP30-knockout mice), which cannot synthesize vitamin C like humans, and revealed that long-term vitamin C deficiency shortened the lifespan. Vitamin C is deeply involved in the regulation of gene expression through epigenetics as a cofactor for DNA demethyltransferases. The shortened lifespan caused by vitamin C deficiency may be attributed to epigenetic abnormalities.
In recent years, "senescent cells", in which cell function has deteriorated, have attracted attention. To elucidate the mechanism of aging, we are also studying regulating factors of senescent cells that return to being young (normal) cells.
