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Ministerial Roundtable on Biology of Ageing

Submitted by Carole Proctor on Thu, 10/05/2007 - 14:10
Author(s): 
Janet Lord
Summary: 
Several UK researchers, including BSRA and BGS members, together with industrial representatives were invited to a roundtable discussion on the biology of ageing with Malcolm Wicks, the new Science minister, on 19 April 2007. The meeting was held at The Royal Society and was also attended by the science editors of the main broadsheet newspapers (Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Times). The focus of this event was on the 'basic biology of ageing' and although the meeting coincided with a suggestion by the minister that old people with dementia could be tagged and followed using satellite technology, the meetings original brief was maintained!
Article: 

The participants were:

  • Professor Arne Akbar (University College London)
  • Professor Cyrus Cooper (Southampton General Hospital)
  • Professor Tom Kirkwood (University of Newcastle)
  • Professor Janet Lord (University of Birmingham)
  • Professor William Marslen-Wilson (Cambridge University)
  • Dr Alan M. Palmer (Pharmidex)
  • Professor Linda Partridge (University College London)
  • Dr. Frans van der Ouderaa (Unilever)

The meeting began with a discussion of current demographic trends and whether the increases in life expectancy currently being experienced in the UK and Europe showed any signs of slowing and thus was there an upper limit to human life-span. Scientists were in agreement that the current trend of 2 years extra per decade (5 hours per day!) was not showing any signs of slowing and when asked to give their best estimate of the age at which life expectancy might plateau, these varied from 90-100. One caveat was that current trends for reduced physical activity and increased obesity in the younger generation could begin to impact upon life expectancy and Professor Kirkwood reported that in the US life expectancy had already been steady for the last two years.

Each of the scientists was then asked to explain the effect of ageing on the organ system that their research focussed upon and how this contributed to age-related disease and frailty. Time was spent discussing age-related changes that might affect several organ systems, such as the increase in inflammatory cytokines that might influence cardiovascular function, sarcopaenia and cognitive decline. The minister was interested in hearing of approaches that might be used to improve the health of older adults. There was discussion of studies across species showing that single genes (e.g. in the IGF-1 pathway) could influence life-span and health span and that this information may now begin to shape strategies for developing interventions to increase healthy life-span. Caloric restriction had shown that life-span extension could be achieved in species from flies to rodents, but the jury was still out for humans and primates. The question here was whether a more pallatable alternative to CR could be developed. Regular exercise both mental and physical were also put forward as having a sound evidence base for maintaining a healthy phenotype into old age.

This briefing was the second held by the minister, the first being on Stem Cells, he also plans similar events on alternative energy and global warming. It remains to be seen whether his new found understanding on human ageing will influence political policy regarding older adults or ageing research in the UK!

Professor Janet Lord

Chair BSRA