title: Evolutionary medicine: from dwarf model systems to healthy centenarians?
abstract: Restriction of the number of calories consumed extends longevity in many organisms. In rodents, caloric restriction decreases the levels of plasma glucose and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) and postpones or attenuates cancer, immunosenescence, and inflammation without irreversible side effects. In organisms ranging from yeast to mice, mutations in glucose or IGF-I-like signaling pathways extend life-span but also cause glycogen or fat accumulation and dwarfism. This information suggests a new category of drugs that could prevent or postpone diseases of aging with few adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Andrus Gerontology Center, Division of Biogerontology, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA. vlongo@usc.edu
authors.forename: Valter D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Caleb E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Finch
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004392:Dwarfism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008136:Longevity / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D009154:Mutation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015003:Yeasts / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005947:Glucose