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Aging
May Be More in the Genes Than We
Thought
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The problem of aging has
troubled many since the beginning of time and the
dream of finding a solution to the aging problem is
as hopeful today as it was thousands of years ago.
Conventional wisdom is that aging is caused
primarily by the cumulative damage of environmental
factors, wearing down the very cells |
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that make up every fiber
of our being and altering their genetic capability
for repair.
In plastic surgery, this
thought seems not only plausible but very obvious as
the outer skin wrinkles as we age. The influence of
environmental stress and oxidative damage (free
radical formation) to the DNA of cells from the sun,
motion and other physical activities clearly has a
strong influence on the protective skin covering.
Many of today's topical potions and lotions
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have ingredients which
either strive to protect and perhaps even help
repair in a limited way some of these aging effects.
But yet we all see patients who 'look good for their
age' with great skin (often with little effort) and
other more unfortunate patients whose skin makes
them 'look older than their age'. (and they don't
have very deleterious habits such as smoking or a
lot of sun exposure) As a plastic surgeon, I am
quick to say that 'you just have good genes'...or
'you just got bad genes'. Recent research suggests
that these off-handed comments may be more factual
than we have thought.
A recent paper published
in the journal CELL from Stanford and the University
of Colorado poses some new hypotheses about aging.
Looking at genes in young vs old worms, they
discovered that certain transcription factor genes
controlled many other genes that led to diminished
cell development. Older worms had |
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increased expression of
these controlling genes, regardless of their
exposure to oxidative stress, infection, or even
radiation. When these expressive genes were stopped,
the worms lived longer. This indicates that some
parts of aging are built-in and under a stronger
genetic influence than we previously thought.
Whether what happens in worms translates to humans
is not yet known and if it does, it is likely to be
a much more complex system.
Such findings suggest
that many aspects of aging are genetically
controlled, perhaps regardless of what we do. 'Bad
habits' may accelerate the process but 'good habits'
will not prevent it from happening either. They may
just have a slowing influence on the downhill ride.
When genetic engineering becomes more advanced (as
it one day will), manipulation of these controlling
genes may be a real possibility. So don't order that
sarcophagus and fill up the anteroom just yet!
Dr Barry Eppley is a
board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice
in Indianapolis, Indiana at Clarian Health Systems.
(http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com)
He writes a daily blog on plastic surgery, spa
therapies, and medical skin care at
http://www.exploreplasticsurgery.com
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