Cellular Mechanisms in Aging and Development Study Section – CMAD

Topics

• Genetic, molecular, epigenetic, and developmental regulation of aging and longevity.
• Metabolic and physiologic regulation of healthspan and lifespan: caloric/dietary restriction; nutrient sensing/signaling; cross talk among tissues to affect organismal longevity; mammalian target of rapamycin pathways; systems biology; circadian clocks and aging; microbiome.
• Mitochondrial function/dysfunction in aging.
• Genome surveillance, proteostasis and aging: oxidative damage; antioxidant defenses; stress responses; DNA damage/repair; telomere dysfunction; epigenetic clocks; protein damage/misfolding/aggregation and proteasome-mediated degradation; autophagy; apoptosis.
• Replicative/cellular senescence and aging: senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP); inflammaging; senolytics and other strategies to target senescent cells in animal models.
• Tissue/organ aging, regeneration and repair: roles of adult stem cells in replacement/repair of aging/damaged tissue; aging of stem cells and their niche; aging of tissue microenvironment; sarcopenia; neurodegeneration.
• Aging and cellular plasticity.
• Progeroid syndromes: Werner Syndrome, Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome; laminopathies
• Interventions that impact longevity and healthy aging: drugs, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, diets, exercise.
• Basic molecular and cellular mechanisms driving geroscience.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests in many areas with Aging Systems and Geriatrics (ASG). Applications that emphasize fundamental biological questions on mechanisms of aging and the regulation of health-span and lifespan that generally focus on animal models are reviewed in CMAD.  Applications that emphasize clinical and translational geroscience and geriatrics generally focused on human subjects are reviewed in ASG. Applications using non-human primates will be assigned on a case-by-case-basis, depending on emphasis. 

There are shared interests with Pathophysiology of Obesity and Metabolic Disease (POMD) in metabolic regulation. Applications studying metabolic regulation in response to dietary changes are reviewed in POMD. Applications about the dietary/caloric restrictions to regulate metabolism in extending lifespan are assigned to CMAD

There are shared interested with SMEP  in the investigation of metabolic and physiologic regulation of aging muscle.  Grant applications that focus on nutrient sensing or signaling, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), sirtuins, insulin/IGF/GH pathways and mitochondria function with specific focus to study metabolic and physiologic mechanisms that regulate aging may be assigned to CMAD.  Applications on sarcopenia as well as aging of skeletal muscle stem cells and their niche may also be assigned to CMAD. Applications with primary focus on skeletal muscle biology and function and inactivity may be assigned to SMEP.

There are shared interests in basic cellular processes such as cell proliferation and senescence, cell death, genomic stability, DNA replication and repair with Cellular Signaling and Regulatory Systems (CSRS).  Applications that emphasize involvement of these processes in aging is the focus are reviewed in CMAD. Applications about basic science of these process are reviewed in CSRS.

There are shared interests with NDPR. When the focus is on mechanisms and events within the nervous system, the application may be reviewed by NDPR. When the focus is on neurobiology or integrative mechanisms of aging involving the whole organism, the applications are reviewed by CMAD.

There are shared interests in protein folding/misfolding/aggregation, autophagy with Cell Strcture and Function-1 (CSF-1). Applications that emphasize role of these processes in aging are reviewed in CMAD. Application that emphasize understanding basic mechanisms of these biological processes are reviewed in CSF-1.

There are shared interests in mitochondrial biology with Cell Structure and Function-2 (CSF-2). Applications that emphasize mitochondrial dysfunction in aging are reviewed in CMAD. Applications that emphasize biogenesis and structure/function of mitochondria are reviewed in CSF-2.

There are shared interests with Pulmonary Injury, Repair, and Remodeling (PIRR). Applications focused on molecular and cellular mechanisms of chronic lung diseases linked to aging, such as COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, may be reviewed in PIRR. Applications focused on cell senescence, proteostasis, and tissue repair and regeneration in the context of aging may be reviewed in CMAD.