Dr. Marina Ezcurra, Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London
Tuesday 29th March, 1.00 p.m., Cornwallis Octagon Lecture Theatre 2 (COLT2)
Age is the largest risk factor for a number of diseases, and age-related diseases are emerging as a large financial burden for many countries, as well a personal challenge for the individuals involved. Even though age-related diseases in humans are well studied, it is not understood why age is a common risk factor for age-related diseases, and if these diseases have common causes. Understanding the biological root of the development of age-related diseases and how they link to each other could be critical for developing therapies to treat these diseases.
In this seminar, I will discuss my current work using the nematode C. elegans to study the processes that drive ageing and age-related diseases. As nematodes age, they develop a number of age-related pathologies, two of them being the accumulation of large yolk pools in the body cavity and severe atrophy and shrinkage of the intestine. My data shows that these two pathologies share a single common cause and are the result of sustained yolk production during adulthood and late life. I will show that in order to maintain the yolk production, C. elegans breaks down its own intestine through autophagy, resulting in atrophy of the intestine and increased mortality. Thus, in C. elegans, at least some age-related pathologies are the direct result of reproductive strategies. My results also show that the intestine is central for longevity in C. elegans, and that autophagy, in contrast to the common view, can have detrimental effects, and be a driver of age-related pathology.