Greater MMP-2 Levels in a Population of Long-Lived Individuals

A great many research groups are engaged in the search for distinct biochemistry in extremely old humans. How do older individuals survive where their peers did not, and can any of the answer to that question be turned into useful therapies? My suspicion is that there are no useful therapies to be found in the genetics and metabolism of exceptional human longevity: these people are still suffering a high burden of damage, and are greatly diminished in capacity. The differences they carry do not tend to swing the odds far, and epidemiological studies suggest that individual variation in genetics and metabolism is a tiny contribution compared to life-long lifestyle choices. The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) group of proteins controls a large variety of key physiological and pathological processes, including tissue remodelling, DNA replication, cell-cycle progression, neurodegeneration, and cancer. MMP-2 is constitutively expressed in several tissues and is tightly associated with inflammatory states such as osteoarthritis. MMP-9 is implicated in lipid metabolism and its activity contributes to endothelial dysfunction. In order to gain insight into the pathophysiology of ageing and to identify new markers of longevity, we analysed the activity levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in association with some relevant haematochemical parameters in a Sicilian population, including long-living individuals (LLIs, ≥95 years old). A cohort of 154 healthy subjects (72 men and 82 wo...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs