More Research Needed On Aging-Related Genes

By Jane Farrell

More Research Needed On Aging-Related Genes

Although there is still no definitive way for scientists to control genes associated with aging, research into the subject could lead to preventive treatment that would prolong lifespan, according to a new analysis of global research.

The research is also paving the way for possible treatment of illnesses relating to aging, according to professor Alexey Moskalev, PhD, DSc, of the Russian Academy of Sciences and at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

But there are still relatively few government grants being given in this area.

 In reaching that conclusion, an international group of scientists conducted a comprehensive analysis of government grants in the area of aging-related genes. To assemble the data, they looked at global statistics.

They found that the approximate amount of funding spent on genes related to aging is over $8.5 billion worldwide, with most of that money spent on genes involved in stress response. But while that figure may seem like an adequate amount, an average of only 7.4% of the funding was spent on projects with "aging" in the grant application. And the average amount of funding per citation was over $43,900.

However, discoveries related to aging-related genes could have enormous implications on both an aging population and the worldwide rise of illnesses such as Alzheimer’s.

The scientists’ findings were published in the journal Cell Cycle.