Novel models for longevity research

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Among the most important issues in biogerontology today is an understanding of the mechanisms that underlie lifespan extension associated with reduced activity in the insulin/IGF-I signaling pathway. Whereas single mutations in the IGF-I receptor and signaling pathways impart lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, the most robust examples of lifespan extension in mammals are associated with reductions in both IGF-I and growth hormone. Mouse models exhibiting deficiency in pituitary development or growth hormone production and/or signaling show decreased IGF-I levels and a dramatic increase in lifespan. Against a backdrop of growth hormone deficiency, however, it is impossible to attribute the effect on lifespan in these animals solely to reductions in IGF-I, excluding a potentially distinct role for growth hormone in mammalian lifespan modulation. Mouse lines which exhibit reduced IGF-I signaling show much smaller increases in lifespan suggesting that IGF-I suppression alone may not be sufficient to produce the robust lifespan extension seen in animals which lack both growth hormone and IGF-I. However, current models do not provide the tools necessary to define the roles that IGF-I and growth hormone play in modulating longevity in mammals. We propose to create novel mouse models, exhibiting growth hormone independent production of IGF-I. We will perform a characterization of these mice in terms of IGF-I production, development, metabolism, bone growth and lifespan. If we find a major influence of GH on longevity independent of IGF-I, the results of these studies would pave the way for a paradigm shift in our thinking regarding the influence of IGF-I and longevity.