Advancing Research
by funding Grant Programs and Fellowships
Driving Innovation
by guiding studies such as the FAST Initiative, the SuperAgers Initiative, and the TAME Trial
Furthering the Field
by supporting the infrastructure of three NIA Initiatives and leading the Amplifying Geroscience Initiative.
Top Breakthroughs driven by AFAR Experts
Delaying Disease by Targeting Aging
Saving Costs by Extending Healthspan
What are the Hallmarks of Aging?
What is Geroscience?
What is the Longevity Dividend?
In the proposed study, Dr. Brace will investigate the relationship between sex, age, and the development of metabolic diseases. There are known differences in the rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling for male and female mice. Male mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) had a decrease in metabolic expression of 4E-BP1, leading to obesity and insulin resistance, while female mice did not experience those changes. However, overexpression of 4E-BP1 protein in the muscle protected male mice from Type II Diabetes (T2D) possibly with signaling from the FGF21 protein. This study will investigate the role of FGF21 in protection from diabetes progression, the contributions of sex chromosomes or gonadal hormone secretions to the different response to over-nutrition and age, and if anti-inflammatory therapies could help modulate the mTORC1-related metabolic dysfunction and improve health and life-span.
