Human aging is common and considered an irreversible process. However, new research suggests that aging can be slowed or even reversed, at least by reversing changes in gene activity. Klotho is named after the Greek goddess of fate, who was the spinner of the thread of life. The Klotho gene is located on chromosome 13 in humans. A new study (Aczel et al.), co-authored by our senior author, examines the extent to which the activity of the Klotho gene influences the aging process and whether certain physical activities affect the activity of this gene. Previous experiments have shown that the lack of the Klotho gene in mice leads to the development of several disorders, such as growth retardation, skin atrophy, and the development of neurological and hearing problems. The experiments also suggest that transgenic mice that overproduce Klotho have an extended lifespan.
In humans, circulating Klotho levels tend to decline after the age of 40. Several authors have investigated the relationship between the presence and circulation of this gene in the body and various physical phenomena (e.g., grip strength, physical activity and chronic diseases, gait impairments, or frailty).
Since Klotho protein levels decrease with age, it is hypothesized that maintaining levels constant may promote healthier aging and modify the incidence of disease.
The research, which was mainly conducted by Hungarian researchers, also shows that circulating Klotho is not only released from the kidneys, but rather from the pituitary gland cells, as subjects with growth hormone-producing adenomas show elevated Klotho levels, which are strongly reduced after pituitary surgery. Lower circulating Klotho is associated with a number of human diseases. For example, it increases the risk of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, certain lung disorders, diabetic retinopathy, and Alzheimer's disease. The research also highlights that the systemic effects of regular exercise have a beneficial effect on all of the aforementioned diseases, suggesting that some of the systemic effects of exercise may be mediated by exercise-induced circulating Klotho levels. Similar to the study published today, when circulating Klotho levels were assessed in young and elite athletes (sprinters and endurance athletes), the data showed that elite sprinters had better kidney function compared to endurance athletes and middle-aged, untrained peers. Moreover, the athletes had better antioxidant profiles, lower levels of inflammation, and longer telomeres, as well as higher circulating Klotho concentrations than age-matched subjects.
We continue to welcome applications from young researchers and PhD students who are interested in participating in beauty industry research. Details under the Our Research menu item: https://awcosmetics.hu/kutatasaink/
Sport also affects the gene-level processes of aging
Human aging is a common and irreversible process. But new research suggests that aging can be slowed or even reversed, at least by reversing changes in gene activity. Klotho was named after the Greek goddess of fate, who spun the thread of life. The Klotho gene is located on chromosome thirteen in humans. A new study (Aczel et al.), published with the cooperation of our lead researcher, examines to what extent the activity of the Klotho gene influences the aging process and whether certain physical activities have an effect on the activity of this gene. Previous experiments have shown that the lack of the Klotho gene in mice leads to the development of several disorders, such as stunted growth, skin atrophy, and the development of the nervous system or hearing problems. Experiments also suggest that transgenic mice that overproduce Klotho have longer lifespans.
In humans, the level of circulating Klotho tends to decrease after the age of forty. Several authors have investigated the correlations between the presence and circulation of this gene in the body and various physical phenomena (eg by examining grip strength, physical activity and chronic diseases, walking disabilities, or frailty).
Since levels of the Klotho protein decline with age, it is hypothesized that keeping levels constant may promote healthier aging and modify the incidence of disease.
The referenced research, conducted mainly by Hungarian researchers, also shows that circulating Klotho is not only released from the kidneys, but rather from the cells of the pituitary gland, as subjects with growth hormone-producing adenomas show elevated levels of Klotho, which is a pituitary gland strongly decreases after surgery. Lower circulating Klotho is associated with many human diseases. For example, it increases the risk of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, some lung disorders, diabetic retinopathy, and Alzheimer's disease. The research also draws attention to the fact that the systemic effects of regular exercise have a beneficial effect on all the above-mentioned diseases, which suggests that some of the systemic effects of exercise may be mediated by exercise-induced circulating Klotho levels. Similar to the present study, when circulating Klotho levels were evaluated in young and master athletes (sprinters and endurance athletes), the data showed that master sprinters had better kidney function compared to endurance athletes and middle-aged, untrained peers. Moreover, the athletes showed a better antioxidant profile, lower levels of inflammation and longer telomeres, as well as higher circulating Klotho concentrations than other age-matched subjects.
Source:
Aczel, D., Torma, F., Jokai, M., McGreevy, K., Boros, A., Seki, Y., ... & Radak, Z. (2023). The Circulating Level of Klotho Is Not Dependent upon Physical Fitness and Age-Associated Methylation Increases at the Promoter Region of the Klotho Gene. Genes, 14(2), 525. https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?mode=search&query=publication;labelOrMtid;eq;The%20Circulating%20Level%20of%20Klotho%20
Gähwiler, EK, Motta, SE, Martin, M., Nugraha, B., Hoerstrup, SP, & Emmert, MY (2021). Human iPSCs and genome editing technologies for precision cardiovascular tissue engineering. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, 639699.
Karagiannis, P., Takahashi, K., Saito, M., Yoshida, Y., Okita, K., Watanabe, A., … & Osafune, K. (2019). Induced pluripotent stem cells and their use in human models of disease and development. Physiological reviews, 99(1), 79-114.
Kuro-o, M., Matsumura, Y., Aizawa, H., Kawaguchi, H., Suga, T., Utsugi, T., ... & Nabeshima, YI (1997). Mutation of the mouse klotho gene leads to a syndrome resembling aging. nature, 390(6655), 45-51.
Kuro-o, M. (2008). Klotho as a regulator of oxidative stress and senescence.
Kurosu, H., Yamamoto, M., Clark, JD, Pastor, JV, Nandi, A., Gurnani, P., … & Kuro-o, M. (2005). Suppression of aging in mice by the hormone Klotho. Science, 309(5742), 1829-1833.
Prud'homme, GJ, Kurt, M., & Wang, Q. (2022). Pathobiology of the Klotho Antiaging Protein and Therapeutic Considerations. Frontiers in Aging, 3.
