Welcome at LEAD
hormone
based aging
research
at UW-Madison
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.
Read moreThe 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
Click here for full paper 'Living and Dying for Sex'
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.
Click here to learn more about this theory
Novel Hypotheses and Theories
New to endocrinology?
Promising new therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease have arisen from the research conducted by the Laboratory of Endocrinology, Aging and Research. Funding is required in order to keep this important research moving forward. Individuals interested in supporting the Laboratory of Endocrinology, Aging and Disease research can contact:
Dr. Craig Atwood
csa@medicne.wisc.edu
608-256-1901, Ext. 11664
or the University of Wisconsin Foundation.
The University of Wisconsin Foundation is the official fund-raising and gift-receiving organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is a nonprofit, tax-exempt Wisconsin corporation.
Dr. Craig Atwood is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin and an investigator with the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the William S. Middleton memorial Veterans Administration Hospital in Madison. Dr. Atwood and a colleague (Dr. Richard Bowen) have proposed a novel theory of aging based on the modulation of cell cycle signaling by reproductive hormones. This theory ('The Reproductive-Cell Cycle Theory of Aging') introduces a new definition of aging that has facilitated the conceptualization of why and how we age at the evolutionary, physiological and molecular levels (Bowen and Atwood, 2004). The basic premise behind the research is that hormones that regulate reproduction in mammals 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 senescence. In essence, this theory proposes that reproductive hormones regulate our aging by modulating the life cycle of cells. Importantly, the theory is not simply a philosophical work; it has immediate and practical implications for extending longevity and delaying/preventing age-related diseases as illustrated below.
Dr. Atwood has diverse research interests (see Novel Theories). Below are some of the different research themes ongoing in the laboratory.
1. Hormonal Regulation of Alzheimer's Disease
2. Hormonal Regulation of Embryogenesis
3. Hormonal Regulation of Aging and Reproduction
4. Autocrine/Paracrine Mechanisms of LH and Neurosteroid Production in the Brain
5. Amyloid Biology
6. Hypoxia, and the Metallobiochemistry of the Brain
Moreira A, Kahlenberg S, Hornsby P.
Neaves WB, Johnson L, Petty CS.
Paniagua R, Nistal M, Sáez FJ, Fraile B.
Mori H, Christensen AK.
Wing TY, Christensen AK.
Ghasemzadeh-Hasankolaei M, Eslaminejad MB, Sedighi-Gilani M.
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