2009 Biology of Aging Gordon Research Conference

描述(由申请人提供)：戈登研究会议自1931年以来一直是传播领先领域新的和未发表的想法的重要场所。2009年戈登老龄化生物学研究会议题为《老龄化的机制：关键效应者和理性靶点》，将把老龄化领域的研究人员与领军人物汇聚一堂，共同了解糖尿病和癌症等与年龄相关的重大疾病的生物学。老龄化领域已经到了可以认真讨论将科学进步转化为改善生活的临床或生活方式干预的潜力的时候。近年来，炎症已成为与年龄相关的疾病的关键驱动因素，并将在整个会议期间形成一个持续的线索。我们完全期待，会议上建立的讨论和合作将有助于确定老龄领域的方向，并加快制定干预措施，以改善数百万人的生活质量。为戈登衰老生物学研究会议(GRC)提供部分资金支持。2009年会议的主题是“老龄化机制：关键效应者和理性目标”，将于2009年2月15日至19日在加利福尼亚州文图拉海滩的Four Points喜来登酒店举行。珍妮特·M·洛德和大卫·辛克莱博士将组织这项科学计划。我们的目标是提供资金，支持受邀的演讲者、讨论领导者和初级科学家(博士后研究员、高级研究生或新的初级教员)，他们将从这次会议中受益并做出贡献。我们邀请的演讲者在衰老的分子和细胞生物学、衰老的生理学和遗传学方面的研究在国际上是公认的。我们还特别强调了那些能够对炎症作为衰老过程中的多向效应因子的讨论做出贡献的发言者，以及那些利用目前对衰老的理解来开发干预措施以延长寿命和健康寿命的研究人员。每一位演讲者都是他们科学的有力传播者，能够激发活跃的讨论。生物老年学目前面临的挑战是确定各种与年龄相关的变化如何在遗传和功能水平上相互作用，从而导致动态平衡、脆弱和病理的丧失。特别是，本次会议将考虑与年龄相关的促炎细胞因子的增加，即所谓的“炎症”，作为主要器官系统衰老过程中的候选多效性效应因子。因此，会议将包括关于神经退化和认知衰退、心脏和肌肉骨骼系统的老化、衰老在癌症中的作用以及免疫衰老的会议，炎症是贯穿每一次会议的主题。此外，老化过程的几个方面是可塑性的，这一点已经变得很明显。近年来，大量的遗传、药物和饮食干预措施被描述为在从单细胞生物体到人类的各种系统中延缓衰老。因此，GRC将包括对健康老龄化干预措施的讨论。会议的目标是：(I)批判性地评估衰老生物学的进展；(Ii)利用衰老生物学的知识来了解与年龄相关的衰退和社会的主要疾病；以及(Iii)强调综合和翻译研究结果，以此作为开发和验证可以延长人类健康跨度的新疗法的手段。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Gordon Research Conference have taken place since 1931 and have been a critical venue for the dissemination of new and unpublished ideas in leading fields. The 2009 Gordon Research Conference on The Biology of Aging, titled "Mechanisms of Aging: Key Effectors and Rational Targets" will bring together investigators from the aging field with leaders in understanding the biology of major age-related diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The aging field has reached a point in time where it can seriously discuss the potential of translating scientific progress into clinical or lifestyle interventions that improve lives. In recent years, inflammation has emerged as a key driver of age- related diseases, and will form a continuing thread throughout the conference. We fully anticipate that the discussions and the collaborations set up at the meeting will help set the directions for the field of aging and accelerate the development of interventions to improve quality of life for millions of individuals. Funds are requested to provide partial support for the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in the Biology of Aging. The theme of the 2009 conference will be "Mechanisms of Aging: Key Effectors and Rational Targets" to be held at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Ventura Beach, California from February 15-19, 2009. Drs Janet M Lord and David Sinclair will organize the scientific program. Our aim is to provide funds to support invited speakers, discussion leaders, and junior scientists (postdoctoral fellows, advanced graduate students, or new, junior faculty), who would benefit from and contribute to the conference. The speakers we have invited are internationally recognized for their research on the molecular and cellular biology of aging, the physiology and genetics of aging. We have also placed particular emphasis upon speakers who can contribute to a discussion on inflammation as a pleiotropic effector in the aging process and upon those researchers utilizing current understanding of aging to develop interventions to extend longevity and healthspan. Each of the speakers is a strong communicator of their science who can stimulate lively discussions. The current challenge to biogerontology is to determine how the various age-related changes, at the genetic and functional level, interact to result in loss of homeostasis, frailty and pathology. In particular, this conference will consider the age-related increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, so-called "Inflammaging", as a candidate pleiotropic effector in the aging process in major organ systems. The conference will thus include sessions on neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, aging of the heart and musculoskeletal systems, the role of aging in cancer, and immunosenescence, with inflammation as a topic running through each session. In addition, it has become clear that several aspects of the aging process are malleable. In recent years, a large number of genetic, pharmacological and dietary interventions have been described that slow down aging in systems ranging from unicellular organisms to humans. This GRC will thus include discussion of interventions for healthy aging. The goals of the conference are: (i) To critically assess progress in the biology of aging; (ii) To utilize knowledge about the biology of aging to understanding age-related decline and major disease of society; and (iii) to emphasize integrative and translational research findings as a means to develop and validate novel therapeutics that could extend human health span.