Overview
The Mission of Neuroendocrinology and Aging Group is to contribute to develop new knowledge in the aging field, namely to demonstrate that neuroendocrine system and related mechanisms can be targeted in experimental models to delay, stop, and in some examples, reverse manifestations of aging and age-related disorders.
The knowledge generated by our group has been contributing to the hypothesis that aging and age-related disorders could be controlled by using neuroendocrine strategies. These strategies are based on targeting the main brain area involved in the neuroendocrine system - the hypothalamus -, its main functions (circadian rhythm, sleep, food intake, metabolism), and also the hypothalamus-periphery axis.
Objectives
- To investigate the neuroendocrine axis contribution to ageing and age-related disorders
- To investigate new strategies to delay aging and age-related disorders by targeting the hypothalamus or by targeting hypothalamic related mechanisms;
- To use caloric restriction mimetic approaches, as neuropeptides, new sirtuins-1 activators, circadian rhythm reestablishment to prevent aging and age-related diseases or disabilities (metabolism dysfunction, osteoarthrite (OA), sleep dysfunctions, neurodegenerative diseases);
- To understand if and how obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia or obesity induce or accelerate molecular mechanisms of ageing.
The group members have complementary expertise: establishment of cellular and animal models of aging and age-related disorders (progeria, neurodegenerative disorders, OSA, OA, insomnia, metabolic dysfunction and obesity), evaluation of physiology, cellular and molecular aging markers (namely autophagy, senescence, inflammation), gene transfer approaches, circadian rhythm analysis, medicinal chemistry and histopathological methodologies. Moreover, the group has expertise to organize pre-clinical studies and public engagement activities.
