Ateneo - UPO

The course motivates the study of aging and its biomedical impact, then covers definitions and dimensions of aging, frailty, and resilience. Topics include: genome instability and cancer links; proteostasis, ER stress, and neurodegeneration; cellular senescence and the SASP; energy/nutrient-sensing pathways (mTOR, AMPK, IGF-1, sirtuins); intercellular communication and inflammaging; epigenetics and aging clocks; foundations and integration of omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) with a focus on cohort studies and preventive medicine.

Students are expected to prepare using the lecture slides and the materials provided by the instructor on Moodle DIR, corresponding to each section of the program.

This module builds a biological and molecular foundation of aging and links these mechanisms to clinical and public-health contexts. By the end, students will be able to: (i) explain key cellular and systemic processes of aging and their relevance to age-related diseases; (ii) understand strengths, limits, and applications of biomarkers (including omics and aging clocks) for risk stratification and prevention; (iii) interpret figures and results from experimental and cohort studies; (iv) communicate concise, translational take-aways for biotech/clinical settings.

Basic background in cell and molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry; ability to read scientific articles in English. Introductory knowledge of biomedical statistics and omics is helpful but not mandatory.

Lectures supported by slides, complemented with guided discussion of scientific articles suggested by the instructor and consultation of selected websites.

Lecture slides, scientific articles, and supplementary materials will be made available on the Moodle DIR platform. Students are encouraged to actively participate in class discussions and in the critical analysis of scientific papers. Office hours are available upon request, either in person or online.

Format: written test Content: 15 questions (multiple-choice and/or short open-ended) Duration: 30 minutes Passing grade: 18/30 Expectations: students are expected to demonstrate mastery of key concepts on the molecular mechanisms of aging, to connect them with clinical and research contexts, and to critically analyze figures or data discussed in class or in the provided materials.

Why Study Aging Demographic and epidemiological transition Trends in life expectancy and healthspan Biomedical and societal relevance of aging research Global strategies and need for population-based studies Biological Aging and Biomarkers Definitions and dimensions of aging: functional, physiological, cellular Distinction between aging and disease Frailty, resilience, and loss of homeostatic capacity Criteria, limitations, and applications of biomarkers Genome Instability, Aging, and Cancer Sources of DNA damage and genomic alterations Somatic mutation accumulation in aging and disease DNA repair pathways and their age-related decline Transposable elements and epigenetic deregulation Proteostasis and Protein Quality Control Protein folding, chaperones, degradation systems Autophagy, ubiquitin-proteasome, ER-associated degradation Age-related decline of proteostasis and consequences Neurodegenerative Diseases and ER Stress Protein misfolding and aggregation in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS ER stress and the unfolded protein response Aggregate cytotoxicity and disruption of homeostasis Cellular Senescence and Aging Definition and types of senescence Inducing stimuli: DNA damage, oncogenes, mitochondrial dysfunction Cell cycle arrest, SASP, and tissue microenvironment Roles in aging, tumor suppression, and pathologies Therapeutic approaches: senolytics, senomorphics Nutrient and Energy Sensing in Aging Role of nutrient sensing in lifespan regulation Caloric restriction, fasting, mimicking diets Key pathways: mTOR, AMPK, IGF-1, sirtuins Evidence from human and animal models Intercellular Communication and Inflammaging Chronic low-grade inflammation and immune aging SASP, cytokine signaling, PRR activation, microbiota interactions Contribution of inflammaging to systemic dysfunction Epigenetics and the Aging Clock DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling Epigenetic drift and biological noise Epigenetic clocks: Horvath, PhenoAge, GrimAge Applications in research and risk stratification Omics-Driven Aging Research Introduction to genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics Advantages and challenges Multi-omics integration and biological age metrics Role of cohort studies in preventive and personalized medicine

At the end of the course, students will be able to: Knowledge: describe the main molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging and explain their role in physiological and pathological processes; understand biomarkers and omics methods applied to aging research. Skills: critically interpret experimental data and figures from scientific articles; apply theoretical concepts to connect aging, frailty, and age-related diseases; communicate research findings clearly and rigorously. Competences: develop a critical and multidimensional approach to aging studies; integrate biological and clinical knowledge with a translational and preventive medicine perspective; use bibliographic and web resources for independent learning.