Why do we age, why do some people remain healthy longer, and what remedies are available? In today’s world of skincare routines, cryotherapy, and IV vitamin treatments, these questions captivate both the public and researchers. Anti-aging solutions, however, are often surrounded by misleading claims and sometimes bizarre treatments.
LSA Professor Ursula Jakob offers a scientific approach to combat aging. Her ambition is to extend the healthy years of life by enhancing biological resilience against age-related diseases.
“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger”
Jakob, the Patricia S. Yaeger Collegiate Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, investigates aging in the short-lived roundworm C. elegans. These worms share molecular similarities with humans, making them ideal for testing anti-aging strategies that could benefit human health. Researchers can quickly assess the effectiveness of interventions using these organisms.
Jakob’s team discovered that some longer-lived worms naturally experienced oxidative stress early in life. When the entire worm population was exposed to early-life oxidative stress, they lived healthier and longer lives. This finding could pave the way for new approaches in human anti-aging research.
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