Aging Focused Symposia at ISOT 2008

描述（由申请人提供）：在2008年7月21日至26日于加州旧金山举行的国际嗅觉和味觉研讨会（ISOT）上，要求支持关于衰老机制的专题讨论会。最佳的健康、功能和营养状况是美国老年人生活质量的关键。60岁以上的美国人有3500多万，老年人是美国人口中增长最快的一部分。老年人是保健服务的更频繁的消费者，如果健康状况不佳，则是长期护理设施的消费者。这些服务的成本正在上升。味觉和嗅觉功能受损会对老年人的饮食选择、营养状况、发病率和死亡率产生负面影响。衰老伴随着化学感觉功能的显著损伤。阿尔茨海默病患者表现出嗅觉功能的严重丧失。然而，尽管化学感觉功能在衰老和痴呆中显著丧失，但人们对这种损害的机制知之甚少。本申请建议通过邀请化学感官以外的科学家关注化学感觉衰老，鼓励使用遗传、细胞和分子生物学技术来研究衰老机制，突出其他感官系统对理解化学感觉衰老的重要发现，刺激针对化学感觉衰老的新的创新研究，并促进化学感觉衰老的教育，从而加强ISOT 2008会议。探索衰老和长寿、成人神经发生、神经退行性疾病、其他感觉和运动系统的年龄相关损伤的机制；该应用支持的专题讨论会将促进对化学感觉衰老的更好理解，并刺激对其潜在机制的新的创新研究。更好地了解衰老过程中的化学感觉功能可能为解决与年龄相关的损伤提供途径。虽然老年人的虚弱和体重减轻是衰弱和死亡的不良预后因素，但伴随心血管疾病、糖尿病和“代谢综合征”的中年肥胖的流行增加正在造成巨大的公共卫生负担，对下一代老年人产生严重影响。中年肥胖者在晚年入住养老院的风险较高，降低肥胖率可以减轻老年养老院护理的社会负担。明确年龄相关的化学感觉功能变化可能为调节食物摄入、中年肥胖和老年人虚弱提供途径。对阿尔茨海默病嗅觉功能严重损害的潜在机制的研究可能有助于了解疾病过程和潜在的干预措施。2008年7月21日至26日在加州旧金山举行的国际嗅觉和味觉研讨会（ISOT）要求支持关于衰老机制的专题讨论会，以邀请化学感官以外的科学家将注意力集中在化学感官功能在衰老过程中受损的机制这一尚未被充分研究的领域，鼓励使用基因、利用细胞和分子生物学技术来研究化学感觉衰老、神经发生和长寿的机制，突出其他感觉系统的发现，这对理解衰老和阿尔茨海默病中的化学感觉功能很重要，并激发新的、创新的研究，旨在理解化学感觉衰老的机制。老年人嗅觉和味觉功能障碍会对老年人的饮食选择、营养状况、发病率和死亡率产生负面影响；与心血管疾病、糖尿病和“代谢综合征”相关的后果正在造成巨大的公共卫生负担，对下一代老年人产生严重影响。明确年龄相关的化学感觉功能变化可能为调节食物摄入、中年肥胖和老年人虚弱提供途径。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for symposia focused on mechanisms of aging at the International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste (ISOT) to be held in San Francisco, CA, July 21-26, 2008. Optimum health, functioning and nutritional status are key to the quality of life in the older American. More than 35 million Americans are over the age of 60, and the oldest old represent the fastest growing segment of the American population. Older persons are more frequent consumers of health care services and, when health fails, of long-term care facilities. The costs of these services are rising. Impairment of taste and olfactory function can negatively impact dietary selection, nutritional status, morbidity and mortality in older persons. Aging is accompanied by significant impairment in chemosensory function. Patients with Alzheimer's disease exhibit particularly profound loss in olfactory function. Yet, despite significant losses in chemosensory function in aging and dementia, little is understood about the mechanisms underlying this impairment. This application proposes to enhance the ISOT 2008 meeting by inviting scientists from outside the chemical senses to focus attention on chemosensory aging, encourage the use of genetic, cellular and molecular biological techniques to investigate mechanisms of aging, highlight findings in other sensory systems important for understanding chemosensory aging, stimulate new, innovative research directed at chemosensory aging, and foster education about chemosensory aging. In exploring mechanisms underlying aging and longevity, adult neurogenesis, neurodegenerative diseases, age-related impairment in other sensory and motor systems; the symposia supported by this application will facilitate greater understanding of chemosensory aging and stimulate new, innovative research into its underlying mechanisms. A better understanding of chemosensory function in aging may suggest avenues to address age-related impairment. While frailty and weight loss in the elderly are poor prognostic factors for debility and mortality, epidemic increase in middle-aged obesity with associated cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and the "metabolic syndrome" is creating an enormous public health burden with grave implications for the next generation of older adults. Middle-aged obese individuals have a higher risk of nursing home admission in late life and reducing obesity rates may thus reduce the later societal burden of nursing home care of the elderly. Clear elucidation of age-related changes in chemosensory function may suggest avenues to modulate food intake, obesity in middle aged and frailty in older adults. Investigation of the underlying mechanisms for the profound impairment in olfactory function in Alzheimer's disease may contribute to an understanding of the disease process and to potential interventions. Support is requested for symposia focused on mechanisms of aging at the International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste (ISOT) to be held in San Francisco, CA, July 21-26, 2008 in order to invite scientists from outside the chemical senses to focus attention on the understudied area of mechanisms underlying impairment in chemosensory function in aging, encourage the use of genetic, cellular and molecular biological techniques to investigate mechanisms of chemosensory aging and neurogenesis and longevity, highlight findings in other sensory systems important for understanding chemosensory function in aging and Alzheimer's disease, and stimulate new, innovative research directed at understanding the mechanisms of chemosensory aging. The impairment in olfactory and taste function seen in the elderly can negatively impact dietary selection, nutritional status, morbidity and mortality in older persons; and the consequences associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and the "metabolic syndrome" are creating an enormous public health burden with grave implications for the next generation of older adults. Clear elucidation of age-related changes in chemosensory function may suggest avenues to modulate food intake, obesity in middle age and frailty in older adults.