Role of Neuropeptides in Aging

Neuropeptide Signaling in Aging

We studied how coordinated communication between tissues sets up a delicate homeostatic balance across all your organs, with the hypothesis that disruptions in communication between the brain and the rest of the body leads to systemic aging. We wanted to understand how neuropeptide signaling between the nervous system and other tissues changes with age, and how age-related changes in neuropeptide levels in specific cells can influence whole organism healthspan and longevity. To investigate the relationship between neuropeptide signaling and aging, we developed novel approaches for cell-type-specific analysis of neuropeptide signaling in the worm and the mouse. Understanding how neuropeptide signaling systems are regulated in the brain, how they mediate inter-tissue communication, and how they change over time is essential for the design of appropriate interventions to delay aging and to modulate age-related chronic and degenerative conditions.