Computationally Modeling Lipid Metabolism and Aging: A Mini-review.
One of the greatest challenges in biology is to improve the understanding of the mechanisms which underpin aging and how these affect health. The need to better understand aging is amplified by demographic changes, which have caused a gradual increase in the global population of older people. Aging western populations have resulted in a rise in the prevalence of age-related pathologies. Of these diseases, cardiovascular disease is the most common underlying condition in older people. The dysregulation of lipid metabolism due to aging impinges significantly on cardiovascular health. However, the multifaceted nature of lipid metabolism and the complexities of its interaction with aging make it challenging to understand by conventional means. To address this challenge computational modeling, a key component of the systems biology paradigm is being used to study the dynamics of lipid metabolism. This mini-review briefly outlines the key regulators of lipid metabolism, their dysregulation, and how computational modeling is being used to gain an increased insight into this system.
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Thornton Science Park, University of Chester, UK.
Mark T
MT
Mc Auley
Faculty of Health and Social Care, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK.
Kathleen M
KM
Mooney
Aging; Computational modeling; Deterministic model; Lipid metabolism; Parameter inference; Stochastic model