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The LEAD Premise We propose that the hormones that regulate reproduction act in an antagonistic pleiotrophic manner to control aging via cell cycle signaling; promoting growth and development early in life in order to achieve reproduction, but later in life, in a futile attempt to maintain reproduction, become dysregulated and drive senescense.
Theory of Aging Based on the Modulation of Cell Cycle Signaling by Reproductive Hormones Our new theory offers an evolutionarily credible reason for why and how we age. The fundamental principle of the theory is that the hormones controlling reproduction also control aging by regulating cell division. These hormones are responsible for our growth and development when we are young in order to achieve reproduction, however, as fertility begins to decrease in our 30's, in an attempt to maintain fertility, these hormones become imbalanced. This causes changes in cell division which lead to the diseases and frailty of old age. The redefinition of aging - any change in an organism over time has allowed novel insights into why and how we age. The power of the theory is evidenced by the fact that it is able to explain many phenomena associated with aging, including what determines the ultimate size of an organism, what regulates the initiation of puberty, why organisms with predator evading attributes such as birds and turtles live so long and how caloric restriction extends longevity. In addition, it is able to explain caveats in other aging theories. |
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