Dixit Lab News

Getting older can affect the heart, kidneys, and other important organs, leading to health problems and a decreased quality of life. Although aging is a natural process that every living person goes through, little is known about what causes our bodies to age. Daniel Jane-Wit, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine) and immunobiology, is investigating what causes our bodies to age and how we might be able to one day block or slow this process.

Aging is a major risk factor for most chronic conditions, evidence shows, yet much of current research focuses on addressing specific diseases. The new Translational Geroscience Initiative at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) seeks to change that approach by studying the effects of aging on various ailments.

Chronic inflammation, one of the major hallmarks of aging, is thought to be partly caused by senescent cells that may accumulate in older individuals. Now, Yale researchers have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund’s Cellular Senescence Network Program (SenNet) to study these specialized cells.

In a new study, Yale researchers show that moderate calorie restriction in people reduces the production of a protein called SPARC, which then reins in harmful inflammation and improves health in the aged. It could be a target for extending human health span, they report.

Faculty and staff of Yale Pathology went to the Water’s Edge Resort in Madison on April 2 for a full-day retreat, the department’s first in-person gathering since the coronavirus pandemic began more than two years ago.

The Director of the National Institutes of Health notes two recent studies, including one from the Yale Center for Research on Aging (Y-Age), that suggest that calorie restriction may improve immune function and reduce chronic inflammation.

CASE has elected a total of 35 new members, of whom 15 are from YSM/YSPH and three others are from FAS.

Vishwa Deep Dixit, DVM, PhD, Director of the Yale Center for Research on Aging (Y-Age), has been elected to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, a non-profit institution formed nearly 50 years ago to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well-being.

A new study led by Yale researchers confirms the health benefits of moderate calorie restrictions in humans — and identifies a key protein that could be harnessed to extend health in humans.