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Researcher publishes new theory on Aging
Newswise, June 2010 — While most theories on
aging to date emphasize the effects of
stress, radiation, oxidation or caloric
intake as major factors that control human
lifespan by damaging DNA, a new theory
states that within the DNA itself, are
archaic retroviruses, much like HIV, which
can damage DNA, and therefore possibly
control the lifespan of humans.
This theory by Timothy McCaffrey, professor
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The
George Washington University, along with
researchers from Brown University, was
recently published in Mechanisms of
Ageing and Development.
“We offer this new theory, not as
replacement for existing theories, but as a
potentially new component for further
consideration and examination,” said Dr.
McCaffrey.
Advancing age remains the largest risk
factor for devastating diseases, such as
heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The
mechanisms by which advancing age
predisposes to disease are now beginning to
unfold, due in part, to genetic and
environmental manipulations of longevity in
lower organisms.
Evidence suggests that DNA damage may be a
final common pathway linking several
proposed mechanisms of aging. This new
theory supposes that there is an additional
aging pathway that involves modes of
inherent genetic instability. The theory
predicts testable hypotheses about the
relationship between LINE-1 activity, DNA
repair, healthy aging, and longevity.
“The same force that has allowed humans to
evolve and adapt could be bad for us
individually, and ultimately be the force
that is causing us to age,” said Dr.
McCaffrey.
The study, titled “A LINE-1 Component to
Human Aging: Do LINE Elements Exact a
Longevity Cost for Evolutionary Advantage?”
was published in the May issue of
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development.
About The George
Washington University Medical Center
The George Washington University Medical
Center is an internationally recognized
interdisciplinary academic health center
that has consistently provided high-quality
medical care in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area since 1824. The Medical
Center comprises the School of Medicine and
Health Sciences, the 11th oldest medical
school in the country; the School of Public
Health and Health Services, the only such
school in the nation’s capital; GW Hospital,
jointly owned and operated by a partnership
between The George Washington University and
a subsidiary of Universal Health Services,
Inc.; and The GW Medical Faculty Associates,
an independent medical practice with nearly
550 physicians in 47 clinical specialties.
For more information on GWUMC, visit
www.gwumc.edu.
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