Organic Ph. Ch.

Dr.Yasser
Lec:6
Date:3/12/2023

Anti-aging medicine
Professor
Dr. Yasser Fakhri Mustafa
 What is the aging?
 Aging is the natural, slow-moving changes that
take place as people mature from infants to
elders. These changes cause some physiologic
observations in early middle age, including hair
graying.

 The process of senescence is when a cell loses

its capacity for cell division, growth, and function.
The result of this function loss is eventual death.
 Theories of aging
 There is no doubt about the relationship between
genes and lifespan. One convincing piece of
evidence is the straightforward observation that
some species live longer than others, such as
humans living longer than dogs and tortoises living
longer than mice. In other words, genetics is the
source of all aging processes.

 Cellular and molecular biologists examine and

propose theories to explain the aging processes.
There are two main categories of aging
theories.

A- Programmed theories
Programmed theories proposed that aging has a
biological timetable or internal biological clock. These
theories include:

1- Programmed senescence theory.

2- Endocrine theory.
3- Immunology theory.
1- Programmed senescence theory
 The sequential switching on/off of specific genes
may result in damaging them.

Hayflick limit is a concept that helps to explain the

mechanisms behind cellular aging and states that
the number of times through which normal cell can
divide until cell division stops is limited. This limit
has been approved using a specific cell type.

Fibroblasts are obtained from umbilical cord and

cultured. They divided and repeated until about 50
divisions. These cells will not divide past this point.

 The "Hayflick limit" is extended by telomeric theory.

Telomeres are specialized nucleotide sequences at the
end of DNA. They shorten with each cell division. When
the telomeres become too short, the cell enters the
senescence stage.

 In the normal process of its replication, the end of the

DNA is not copied exactly, which leaves an unreplicated
gap. The enzyme telomerase fills the gap by attaching
nucleotides.

 As long as the cells have enough telomerase to do that

job, they keep the telomeres long enough to prevent
any important information from being lost as they go
through each replication. With time, telomerase levels
decrease, causing telomeres to become shorter and
shorter.
 Shortened telomeres are found in atherosclerosis, heart
diseases, hepatitis, and cirrhosis.

 90% of cancer cells have a high level of telomerase,

which allows cancer cells to reproduce, resulting in
tumor growth.

Many fields of study may benefit from telomeric theory;

among them are:

1. The presence of cancer can be determined by checking

the level of telomerase in particular cell type.
2. Inhibition of telomerase activity may fight cancer by
inducing cell death.
3. Telomerase may help in wound healing or enhance the
immune response.

2- Endocrine theory
Biological clock acts through hormones to control the pace of
aging. Hormones affect on growth, metabolism, temperature,
inflammation, and stress. For example in menopausal woman,
the decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone leading to
vaginal dryness, mood changes, and insomnia.

3- Immunology theory

A programmed decline in the immune system leads to an

increased susceptibility to diseases. The efficiency of the
immune system reaches the peak in the puberty, and then it
gradually decreases. Thymus’s involution (shrinking of the
thymus with age) is believed to be the main age-related change
in the immune system, and this alteration begins after puberty.
 B- Error theories
Aging may a consequence of internal and external assaults
that damage cells or organs. So, the damaged moieties can't
function properly. These theories include:

1- Wear-and-tear theory
2- Rate of living theory
3- Cross-linking theory
4- Free radical theory
5- Somatic mutation theory
6- Activity theory

1- Wear-and-tear theory
 It was first proposed scientifically by German
biologist Dr. Weismann in 1882. He proposed
that the body, as a mechanical system, is going
to break down with use over the years.

There are some cellular systems that don't

replace themselves throughout life, such as the
nerve cells of the brain. As these cells are lost,
function will eventually be affected. Just like a
pair of socks, they can only last so long before
becoming threadbare or getting a hole.
 2- Rate of living theory
• In past decades, people believed that the human body
deteriorated in direct proportion to its use. The modern
version of this theory recognizes that the number of
heartbeats does not predict lifespan. Instead, researchers
have focused on the speed at which an organism utilizes
oxygen.

• There is some evidence, when comparing species, that

creatures with faster oxygen metabolisms die younger.
For example, birds metabolize oxygen quickly and have
short lifespans, while tortoises metabolize oxygen very
slowly and have long lifespans.

3- Cross-linking theory
 The accumulation of cross-linked proteins damages
cells, slowing down body processes. Non-enzymatic
glycosylation reactions, for example, occur when
glucose molecules attach to proteins, causing a chain of
chemical reactions that result in a structural change to
proteins, such as the loss of connective tissue flexibility.

 Researchers believe that if the concentration of sugar in

the blood is high, then more cross-linking occurs. Foods
with a high glycemic index, such as sugary sodas and
juices, release sugar into the body quickly. These foods
have been associated with cardiovascular disease,
possibly because of protein cross-linking.
 4- Free radical theory
 A free radical is a molecule with an unpaired,
highly reactive electron. One type of very
reactive free radical is the oxygen-reactive
species, which may be produced during
metabolism or because of environmental
pollution.

 Oxygen-reactive species are formed in your

cells, naturally, during the oxidation of food to
water and carbon dioxide.

 Molecules that may be damaged by free

radicals are fats, proteins, and DNA (both in
the nucleus and in mitochondria).

 If membrane fats are attacked, then you get

the breakdown of the cell membrane. If it is a
red blood cell membrane, you get hemolysis.

 If proteins are attacked, you get the breakdown

of proteins, which may result in the loss of
biological function and the accumulation of
“catastrophic” compounds.

 If DNA is attacked, you will get a mutation that

may cause aging or cancer.
 The free radical “grabs” an electron from any molecule in its
vicinity.

It does this because electrons like to exist in pairs.

When it “grabs” an electron from another molecule, it

damages the other molecule.

 Free radicals do not go unchecked. The body has a

multi-layered defense system that reacts and detoxifies
the damaging radicals. This system consists of many
defense mechanisms, such as:

1) Natural antioxidants in the body, such as bilirubin.

2) Enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase,
and glutathione peroxidase.
3) Dietary antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, vitamins
C and E.

 Under normal conditions, your natural defense

mechanisms prevent most of the oxidative damage
from occurring.

 The free radical theory of aging proposes that, little-by-

little, small amounts of damage accumulate and
contribute to the deterioration of tissues and organs.
Question: Does it make any biological sense to try
to eliminate all free radicals in your body by taking
antioxidant supplements? Can this stop aging? Can you
delay or stop aging by taking vitamins and other free
radical scavengers?

There is no evidence-based proof that dietary

supplements delay or stop aging. This is a big area of
nutrition quackery. Remember that there is a lot of
evidence that taking certain supplements INCREASES the
cancer rate.

For example, smokers who take beta-carotene

supplements have a higher lung cancer rate than smokers
who do not take these supplements.

Another example is that when Vitamin E traps

free radical, it becomes a free radical and may be
more carcinogenic than the original one. This is
the reason why taking high doses of vitamin E
supplements appears to increase, not decrease,
a person's cancer risk.

Therefore, the risk/benefit ratio is in favor of not

taking supplements to retard aging.

Are all the free radicals in our bodies causing

damage?
 5- Somatic mutation theory
It states that aging is an imbalance between DNA’s ability to
repair itself and accumulated DNA damage. When the
damage exceeds the repair, the cell will malfunction, which
can lead to senescence.

6- Activity theory
This new theory indicates the importance of ongoing social
activity as we age. If someone no longer works and also
does not keep up with activities he or she enjoyed, it could
speed up the aging process. In order to combat this, you
should strive to substitute new roles to replace any that may
be lost due to aging.