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As announced in our August issue, we
will begin a series of short
presentations of each of the eight
scientific sessions of the Annual
Meeting as well as one on the
pre-meeting symposium (Caloric
Restriction). As always,
we encourage all comments and questions.
In this issue, we are pleased to
highlight the Sarcopenia: Cause, Effect
and Treatment session chaired by Dr.
William J. Evans.
Sarcopenia: Cause,
Effect, and Treatment
CHAIR:
William J. Evans, University of
Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little
Rock, Arkansas, USA
Shalender Bhasin, Boston University
School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Geoff
Goldspink, Royal Free and University
College Medical School Royal Free Campus
London
(Background provided by Dr. William J.
Evans, Session Chair)
Advancing
age is associated with profound changes
in body composition. Age-related loss
in skeletal muscle has been referred to
as sarcopenia and is a direct
cause of the age related decrease in
muscle strength and increased risk of
disability. The etiology of sarcopenia
is complex and result from a number of
factors that may change with advancing
age such as decreased levels of physical
activity, hypogonadism, insulin
resistance, altered CNS function,
changing nutritional needs, and
decreased capacity of muscle cells to
adapt appropriately. With advancing age
and extremely low activity levels seen
in the very old, muscle strength is a
critical component of walking ability
and independence. The high prevalence
of falls among the institutionalized
elderly may be a consequence of their
lower muscle strength. The
preservation of muscle mass and
prevention of sarcopenia can help
prevent decreases in metabolic rate. Sarcopenia
may contribute to such age-associated
changes as reduction in bone density,
insulin sensitivity, and aerobic
capacity.
This
symposium will focus on molecular
mechanisms that may affect the rate of
sarcopenia including the expression of
skeletal muscle IGF-1. The potential
for hormonal and pharmacological
treatment of sarcopenia will also be
discussed, with particular emphasis on
how changing muscle mass may effect
functional capacity in older people. The
third, and final presentation will
present the influence of nutrition and
exercise on muscle function, metabolism
and muscle size.
CHAIR:
 William J. Evans, PhD, UCLA -
Dr.
Evans is the Ed and Jan
Warmak Chair of Nutritional
Longevity and director of
the Nutrition, Metabolism,
and Exercise Laboratory in
the Donald Reynolds
Department of Geriatric at
the University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences and a
research scientist in the
Geriatric Rehabilitation,
Education, and Clinical
Center in the VA Medical
Center. He is a Professor
of Geriatrics, Physiology,
and Nutrition. From 1993 to
1997 he was the director of
the Noll Physiological
Research Center at the
Pennsylvania State
University and from 1982 to
1993 he served as the Chief
of the Human Physiology
Laboratory at the U.S.D.A.
Human Nutrition Research
Center on Aging at Tufts
University. He is a Fellow
of the American College of
Sports Medicine, The
American College of
Nutrition, and an honorary
member of the American
Dietetic Association. He is
the author or co-author of
more than 190 publications
in scientific journals.
Much of his research has
examined the functional and
metabolic consequences of
physical activity in elderly
people. Along with Irwin
Rosenberg, M.D., he is the
author of Biomarkers: The
Ten Determinants of Aging
You Can Control (Simon &
Schuster) and has
recently authored
AstroFit (Simon &
Schuster, 2002). His
laboratory examines the
relationship between
exercise, nutrition and
aging. His studies have
demonstrated the ability of
older men and women to
improve strength, fitness,
and health through exercise,
even into the 10th decade of
life. Dr. Evans receives
grant support from a variety
of sources including the
National Institutes of
Health, the Veterans
Administration, NASA, and
private industry. Ongoing
research in the Nutrition,
Metabolism, and Exercise
Laboratory is examining the
effects of bedrest on body
composition, muscle
metabolism and functional
capacity in old men and
women, effects of exercise
on fatigue in anemic cancer
patients, effects of
physical activity and diet
on insulin action in elderly
people, and the etiology of
late life dysfunction. Dr.
Evans has directed a large
laboratory including
collaborating scientists for
more than 20 years. He has
been an associate editor for
Medicine and Science in
Sport and Exercise and
Journal of Gerontology
and is a member of the
editorial board of the
Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and
Metabolism. He serves
as a reviewer for more than
10 journals and has been a
reviewer of grants for the
American Federation for
Aging Research, National
Institutes of Health, the
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, and
the Veterans Administration.
Shalender Bhasin, MD, Boston University
- Dr. Bhasin received his medical degree
from the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India,
and completed residency at Northwestern
University Medical School. His
fellowship in endocrinology and
metabolism was at Harbor-UCLA Medical
Center. Prior to his appointment
at BUSM, Bhasin was professor in
residence at UCLA School of Medicine and
Chief of the division of endocrinology,
metabolism and molecular medicine at the
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine
and Science where he held many
leadership positions including assoc.
program director of the clinical
research center and assoc. chair for
academic affairs in the department of
medicine. Bhasin also directs the
NICHD-funded Drew-UCLA Reproductive
Science Research Center. He also
specializes in the physiology and
molecular biology and androgens and male
reproductive endocrinology.
He has
been awarded the 1990 Distinguished
Teaching Award at Harbor-UCLA
Medical Center, the 1997 Drew
University Department of Medicine
Distinguished Teaching Award, the
Medical Student Class of 1999 Award
for Best Teaching Faculty, the 2003
Endocrine Society-Pharmacia Award
for Finalist Paper in the Journal of
Clinical Endocrinology and
Metabolism.
Bhasin
is an associate editor of the
Journal of Endocrinology and
Metabolism as well as a member of
several NIH study sections. He has
authored more than 100 peer-reviewed
articles and numerous textbook
chapters.
 Geoff Goldspink, PhD, Royal
Free and University College
Medical School
- Professor Goldspink's
first degree was in
chemistry with courses in
biological sciences and then
he did a PhD at Trinity
College University of
Dublin. Ten years after
receiving his PhD he was
awarded a higher doctorate
(ScD) by Trinity College for
contributions to the
biomedical sciences. After
his PhD he took a faculty
position in England to
establish a Research Unit to
study muscle growth and he
spent a sabatical year at
the University of
Pennsylvania as a Fulbright
Scholar and as an Assistant
Professor of Biochemistry in
1970. After he returned to
England, he became a
Professor and later Chairman
of the Department. During
the time he spent further
periods at Universities in
the United States including
the University of Wisconsin
at Madison, Duke University
and as a Distinguished
Professor at UCLA and a
Visiting Agassiz Professor
at Harvard University. He
then joined the Faculty of
the Medical Schools of Tufts
University Boston with the
objective of strengthening
the basic sciences in the
Veterinary School and
establishing a Musculo-skeletal
Research Unit on the
Veterinary Campus at
Grafton, Massachusetts.
After 4 years at Tufts he
returned to the UK to up
take the Foundation Chair of
Veterinary Molecular and
Cellular Biology at the
Royal Veterinary College,
University of London. After
5 years he moved to the
Medical Faculty and became
Head of Anatomy at the Royal
Free Campus and Chairman of
the Division of Basic
Medical Science. His
research work in Boston and
in London focussed on the
molecular regulation of
muscle growth and
maintenance which is still
his major interest.
Following the cloning of
mechano growth factor which
is expressed by normal
muscle following resistance
exercise he resigned his
administrative positions to
concentrate on his
research. Also as well as
research grants his work is
now funded by a major
pharmaceutical company who
are preparing for clinical
trials for the treatment of
muscle wasting conditions
including muscular
dystrophy, ALS, muscle
cachexia and sarcopenia.
Wish to contact any of the speakers or
comment? Click here.
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GRANT
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Deadline: Letters of Intent Receipt Dates:
October 14, 2005
Application Receipt Dates: November 14, 2005.
NCCAM: CAM at
Minority or Health Disparities Research Centers;
Eligibility: For-profit or non-profit; public or
private; Units of State and local governments;
domestic institutions; Funding: R21 mechanism.
Pre-clinical $275,000 for the two-year period;
Clinical project period of up to three years
with a combined budget for direct costs of up
$400K for the three-year period.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-152.html
Deadline:
October 14, 2005. Final decision will be made by
December 31, 2005.
ISOA:
Novel Approaches to Drug
Discovery for Alzheimer’s Disease
Eligibility: The principal investigator must
hold an M.D. or Ph.D. degree. The proposed
research may be conducted at any type of
not-for-profit academic setting or at a
registered public or private biotechnology
company; Funding: Four 1-yr grants; $130K; 2nd
year of funding possible;
www.aging-institute.org/i/isoa/isoa_elan_apply.doc
Deadline: December 5, 2005
Ruth L.
Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for
Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellows (F30);
Eligibility: For-profit and non-profit
organizations, public or private institutions,
eligible agencies of the Federal government,
domestic Institutions; Funding: Individual
Kirschstein-NRSA F30; See program for details;
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-151.html
Deadline:
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): 30 days prior
to the application receipt date; Application
Submission Dates(s): October 1 annually for new
applications; November 1 annually for revised
and competing renewal applications.
NIMH
Research Education Grants (R25);
Eligibility: For-profit and non-profits; public
or private institutions; units of state and
local government; eligible agencies of Federal
government; domestic institutions; Funding:
(R25) mechanism. See program for details;
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-153.html
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MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Email
us your meeting announcement
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Due to the devastation of
hurricane Katrina,
the Gerontological Society
of America has now chosen a
new location for its
November 18-22, 2005
conference:
Marriott's Orlando World
Center
in Orlando, Florida!
Register today
for a great meeting!
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VISIT AMERICAN AGING ASSOCIATION'S
BOOTH AT THIS MEETING!
Stop by to meet our very own Ms.
Donna Cini and get the latest
information on our journal, Annual
Meeting and membership! |
3-4 October 2005
- Cambridge, MA, U.S.A
Nanomedicine
Conference
www.alzforum.org/res/res/conf/detail.asp?id=470
6 October 2005
- Chilworth Manor, Chilworth, Southampton, United
Kingdom
Medical Update for Psychiatrists Working with
Older People
www.cpdmh.swhants.nhs.uk
October 6-8, 2005 - Novato,
CA, USA
The 2005 Buck Institute Symposium on
Aging "Pharmacology of Lifespan"
www.buckinstitute.org
October 27-30, 2005
- Mayan Ranch, Texas Hill Country,
Bandera, TX - USA
The Role of Protein Misfolding and
Aggregation on Aging and Age-Related
Disorders
Conference
Organizer:
www.barshop.uthscsa.edu
16-18 November 2005
- Munich, Germany
The European Federation of Neuropsychiatry
Annual Congress
www.efnp.org
27-28 April 2006
- San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
Epidemiology of Alzheimer's Disease
cme.ucsd.edu/events.cfm?cat_id=1#
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