Geronmedicine Integration
Geronmedicine integration is an emerging discipline that combines traditional medicine with geroscience to address the complex mechanisms of ageing. It applies geroscience knowledge to clinical practice, tailoring preventative medicine and treatments for specific age-related health concerns.
Geroscience
Geroscience is an interdisciplinary field focused on delaying or preventing age-related diseases and decline by studying the intricate mechanisms of ageing. It explores the interplay between genetic, epigenetic, metabolic, immune, and environmental factors.
Ageing Mechanisms
Ageing involves molecular, cellular, and systemic processes such as genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic changes, loss of proteostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, altered intercellular communication, and dysregulated nutrient sensing. These processes contribute to age-related diseases such as neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders.
Geronmedicine Integration
Geronmedicine integration encompasses various research areas and practices, including gerotherapeutic clinical trials, which are critical to its development. These trials focus on developing and validating interventions that promote healthy ageing, delay age-related diseases, and extend healthspan.
Key Areas of Focus
- Biomarkers of Ageing: Identifying and validating biomarkers that quantify the ageing process, particularly 'omic'-based biomarkers, to predict ageing-related outcomes and serve as surrogate endpoints for evaluating interventions.
- Interventions and Therapies: Exploring various interventions such as caloric restriction, gut microbiome modulation, senolytics and senomorphics, epigenetic reprogramming, NAD+ precursors, and mTOR inhibition.
- Technological Innovations: Developing technologies to enhance the independence and quality of life of older adults, including smart homes equipped with sensors for monitoring and assisting daily activities.
Challenges and Future Directions
Despite promising advancements, gerotherapeutic clinical trials face challenges such as the lack of consensus on biomarker validation, ethical considerations, and the complexity of ageing as a multifaceted process. Future research aims to systematically validate biomarkers, optimise interventions, and integrate technological solutions to address the diverse needs of ageing populations.
Conclusion
Geronmedicine integration represents a comprehensive approach to understanding and mitigating the effects of ageing, offering hope for a future where individuals can age healthily and maintain their quality of life. By combining insights from geroscience with clinical practice, geronmedicine aims to revolutionise the way we approach age-related health concerns.