Event Details:
This collaborative seminar is a joint effort of the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience and the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research.
To support our researchers' participation in this open science "lab-meeting style" exchange of ideas, these seminars are not streamed/recorded and are only open to members of the Stanford community.
Joseph S Takahashi, Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience,
Loyd B. Sands Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience,
Investigator Emeritus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Circadian clock regulation of healthspan and lifespan
We live on a planet with a 24-hour day-night cycle that determines the energetic cycle of essentially all forms of life. To anticipate these daily cycles in the environment, living systems have evolved circadian clocks to predict the 24-hour passage of time. My laboratory discovered the first gene that controls circadian rhythms in mouse and humans, known as the “Clock” gene. This gene acts as the primary regulator of circadian behavior and physiology in mammals. In addition, the circadian clock gene network interacts directly with many other pathways in the cell. These include metabolism, immune function, cardiovascular function, cell growth, as well as, the majority of the “hallmark of aging” pathways. With respect to metabolism, the timing of nutrient consumption is critical, and we have found that time restriction and circadian alignment of feeding are critical factors for extension of lifespan under caloric restriction. Because the circadian gene network is a conserved regulator of aging and longevity in mice and humans and because circadian transcriptional drive declines with age, we are testing interventions that rescue circadian amplitude as agents to promote healthspan and lifespan. We propose that the circadian gene network is a novel target for aging and longevity
