Geroprotectors: the most complete database (1)
Geroprotectors: a unique resource for researchers in the field of aging
Alexey Moskalev et al., AGING, 2015:
translated by Evgenia Ryabtseva
AnnotationAs interest in research in the field of aging increases, so does the number of geroprotectors or therapeutic interventions aimed at increasing the duration of a healthy life and restoring or reducing the severity of age-related disorders in model organisms and, ultimately, in humans.
There is an undeniable need for a manually verifiable database of geroprotectors, which would allow to accumulate and organize information about their impact on aging and age-related diseases, as well as provide links to relevant studies and numerous biochemical databases and databases of medicines.
In this article we present the first such resource Geroprotectors. It is an easy-to-use public database containing information on more than 250 experiments in which more than 200 confirmed or potential geroprotectors that increase the life expectancy of model organisms were studied. Each compound has a detailed description containing information on the biochemical properties, mechanisms of action and effect on the lifespan of various model organisms, as well as on the molecular structure, side effects, toxicity and status assigned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
All this is presented in the form of a visually understandable, efficient system, equally convenient for both quick viewing and in-depth analysis. The data is provided with links to research sources or databases, which provides quick and convenient access to the source data. The Geroprotectors database facilitates cross-analysis across numerous studies, different organisms and disciplines, saving scientists a huge amount of time usually spent on inefficient searches in the literature and on the Internet. Geroprotectors is a universal resource that provides information and an opportunity to save time for researchers looking for solutions to the problem of healthy aging.
IntroductionAging is a complex biological process involving progressive deterioration of cellular homeostasis mechanisms and accumulation of molecular damage [1-4].
Aging opens the door to diseases and the gradual extinction of body functions, so the search for interventions aimed at combating it has been conducted since time immemorial. Modern living conditions require the acceleration of these searches. Demographic indicators are shifting towards an increase in the share of older age groups at a record rate [5,6], suppressing economic growth in developed countries and increasing the risk of economic collapse [7]. Against the background of this shift, in the coming decades there will be a sharp increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease [8], as well as a number of other severe chronic diseases requiring long-term medical care [9].
Geroprotectors are drugs or therapeutic methods aimed at preventing, slowing down or reversing the aging processes of model organisms or humans in order to ensure the possibility of increasing life expectancy and, in particular, the duration of a healthy life. Their targets can be any of the mechanisms and genetic systems involved in aging. Currently, there are literally hundreds of geroprotectors, but many of them have only been tested on animals [10-15]. Since many of the geroprotectors are under study, there is a need to catalog and classify them in a centralized database, as well as to develop qualification criteria for determining geroprotectors. Based on these criteria, the working model would increase the prognostic capabilities during screening and systematization of compounds potentially having geroprotective properties. This, in turn, would contribute to the targeted identification and development of new geroprotectors, thus reducing the period before introduction into clinical practice and the overall financial costs [16].
Currently, there are several functional approaches to identifying changes occurring in the aging process and features characteristic of aging and diseases at the same time [17,18]. One of the approaches involves assistance in identifying geroprotectors that minimize pathological changes at different levels of the organization of the organism. Other approaches may include testing compounds capable of delaying or preventing the development of cancer, pathologies of the central nervous system and other age-related diseases [19-21]. There is an undeniable need for a tracking system that would provide access to information about potential geroprotectors, as well as the relevance of this information, thus providing a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of potential geroprotective effects on humans.
A system that allows you to track experiments to increase life expectancy and study various parameters of each individual geroprotector, such as side effects, toxicity and the results of earlier clinical studies, would serve as a good starting platform for researchers planning to conduct experiments to study longevity or trying to validate theoretical assumptions.
In order to meet the growing need for a reliable online system for tracking drugs that increase the life expectancy of various organisms, the authors created Geroprotectors.org – a manually verifiable database that is available online and provides instant access to all the data listed above. Containing the latest data and an easy-to-use system, including detailed information on more than 200 geroprotective compounds and providing links to more than 250 studies confirming (or refuting) their effect on model organisms, Geroprotectors.org designed for both beginners and experts in this field. Its modern user-friendly interface facilitates the efforts of users as much as possible. The data contained in it is checked manually by a group of experts in the field and confirmed by publications in peer-reviewed journals. Both superficially viewing data and looking for detailed information on the geroprotectors they are interested in, users can do this without spending time on extensive searches in the literature or mastering complex systems.
Geroprotectors.org It is an intuitive and visually understandable comprehensive collection of aging-slowing interventions, which will eventually become an indispensable biogerontological resource. To date, it tracks only drugs that have a proven ability to increase the lifespan of model organisms. However, considering that some of the drugs effective in the treatment of age-related pathologies in humans can also act as geroprotectors [22,23], in the future they may also be included in the database. These drugs can be submitted for consideration using the "submit" form.
29.09.2015