Why is it in the news?

• Geroscience, focusing on geriatric research and novel blood tests like “gerozyme,” aids in addressing age-related diseases through drug modulation and dietary interventions.

More about the news

• Daniel Belsky, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, has introduced the term ‘geroscience’, emphasizing the relationship with aging and the elderly population.
• He has developed an innovative blood test to assess the rate of aging in individuals.
• His team has created a method to study the development of methyl groups via a DNA enzyme in older adults, highlighting that this methylation process is responsive to aging, often termed as ‘gerozyme’.
• Various research groups are exploring medications and other approaches to regulate the ‘gerozyme’ and their impact on the aging process.

1) One group has proposed the use of the drug called ‘metformin’ as a tool to target aging.

2) Another group has demonstrated that inhibiting the enzyme ‘TORC1’ can boost immunity and reduce infections in elderly individuals.

3) The Columbia Aging Centre has discovered that a well-balanced diet supports brain health by reducing inflammation and facilitates proper blood flow by providing essential nutrients that support cognitive function.