The Youthful Brain Initiative
The Youthful Brain Initiative (YBI) is a joint effort by members of the UVA Department of Neuroscience to study the processes and problems of brain aging.
Our goal is to work together to understand the genetic, cellular, and molecular bases of brain function that change over the lifetime of the individual. Our intent is to develop new ways to treat hearing loss, balance disorders, and cognitive impairment. These problems are becoming the realities of life for an increasingly large portion of the population worldwide.
The 5 focus areas of the YBI are:
- Cancer and aging
- Hearing
- Cognition
- Coordination
- Cell biology of neurons
Definitions
Aging
Aging can be defined as the gradual loss of the ability of the organism to maintain homeostasis.
Homeostasis
The term derives from the greek "homeo", unchanging, and "stasis", position, and refers to the maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism despite changes in the external environment.
Stem cell theory of aging
According to this theory, loss of homeostasis occurs when stem cells can no longer maintain the viability of a tissue or the whole organism.
Lifespan
There are 2 definitions of lifespan, "replicative" and "chronological". Replicative lifespan refers to the period during which the organism is capable of reproducing. Chronological lifespan, on the other hand, spans the entire time from birth to death.
Longevity
gene Over the past decade we have come to understand through the use of model organisms that aging and lifespan are controlled by longevity genes and that there is a genetic program that affects viability and the ability of a cell or organism to deal with the environment.
Model organism
Model organisms are used when the biological phenomenon to be studied is one that involves the organism as a whole. Research on aging relies heavily on three model organisms: flies (Drosophila), worms (C. elegans), and mice.
Molecular "pathway" or "cascade"
Scientists use this term to refer to the coordinated activity of a series of genes or gene products (mostly proteins) leading to the performance of a biological task.
Neuron
A neuron, or nerve cell, is the basic unit of the nervous system, specialized for the transmission of electrical impulses. It consists of the cell body containing the nucleus, a long fiber called an axon, which transmits impulses, and many short fibers called dendrites, which receive them.
Neurodegeneration
Neurodegeneration is the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including the death of neurons.
Apoptosis (pronounced ay-pa-TOE-sis)
Apoptosis is a special form of cell death that occurs according to a genetically programmed sequence of events.
Regeneration
In mammals, regeneration is limited to the replacement of old cells, tissues, or organs with new ones through the action of resident stem cells. Many lower organisms have the additional ability to regrow entire complex structures, such as limbs.