Highlights from the Barshop Symposium on Aging 2017
Every year, deep in the Texas Hill Country, some of the brightest minds in aging research gather at the Mayan Ranch in Bandera, Texas, for the Barshop Symposium on Aging.
The 2017 conference, organized by Drs. Veronica Galvan and James Nelson from the UT Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, focused on a fascinating and often overlooked aspect of gerontology: sex differences in aging. Why do women tend to outlive men? How do males and females respond differently to interventions aimed at extending healthspan? These questions formed the core of discussions at this rustic retreat, where researchers presented groundbreaking work on topics ranging from Alzheimer's disease to cardiomyopathy, frailty, and pharmaceutical interventions against aging 1 .
The secluded environment of the ranch fostered intense discussions and collaborative thinking, allowing scientists to share their latest findings away from the distractions of everyday academic life. What emerged was a rich tapestry of research that not only advanced our understanding of why we age but also how sex-specific factors influence this process.
Sex differences in aging and longevity research
The 2017 symposium highlighted that biological sex plays a crucial role in how organisms age and respond to interventions. While it's long been observed that women generally outlive men but experience more late-life disability, the mechanisms behind these differences remain poorly understood 1 .
One theory discussed was that the evolutionary pressures on males and females throughout history have shaped different aging patterns. For example, the same physiological mechanisms that optimize women for reproduction and child-rearing might contribute to their longer lifespan but also make them more vulnerable to certain age-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis 1 .
Researchers at the symposium framed their work within the context of the established hallmarks of aging—biological processes that deteriorate over time and contribute to age-related functional decline 1 .
A recurring theme throughout the symposium was the role of chronic inflammation in driving age-related functional decline—a concept known as "inflammaging". Multiple presentations explored how the immune system changes with age, becoming less effective at fighting pathogens while simultaneously maintaining a low level of inflammatory activity that damages tissues 1 .
Research presented suggested that these inflammatory processes might be moderated by sex-specific factors. For example, the female immune system generally mounts stronger responses to pathogens and vaccinations, which might contribute to both longer lifespan and higher rates of autoimmune disorders in women .
One of the most compelling studies presented at the symposium came from the laboratory of Sadiya Ahmad at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The research focused on understanding why people who carry a particular genetic variant—Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4)—often experience worse recovery after strokes and other brain injuries 1 .
The research team designed a series of elegant experiments to test their hypothesis 1 :
The findings from these experiments were striking 1 :
This research has important implications for understanding and treating brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases 1 :
Aging research relies on specialized tools and reagents that allow scientists to ask precise questions about biological processes. The studies presented at the Barshop Symposium utilized a range of sophisticated techniques and materials 1 3 .
| Reagent/Technique | Application in Aging Research | Example from Symposium Research |
|---|---|---|
| Lentiviral vectors | Gene delivery and manipulation | Knocking down LRP1 expression in astrocytes 1 |
| Western blotting | Protein detection and quantification | Measuring NF-κB pathway activation 1 |
| Cell viability assays | Measuring cell health and survival | Assessing astrocyte survival after inflammatory challenge 1 |
| Animal models | Studying aging processes in whole organisms | Using mice for stroke recovery studies 1 |
| Senolytics | Clearing senescent cells | Dasatinib + quercetin for reducing tau accumulation |
| Single-cell RNA sequencing | Analyzing gene expression in individual cells | Examining aging mouse pancreatic islets |
Specialized chemicals and biological materials enable precise manipulation of aging processes in laboratory settings.
Cutting-edge technologies like single-cell sequencing provide unprecedented insights into aging at the cellular level.
The research presented at the symposium wasn't just theoretical—many studies focused on developing practical interventions for age-related diseases 1 .
Research presented at later conferences showed that interventions like protein restriction and time-restricted feeding can influence metabolic health and inflammation 2 .
As research into sex differences advances, we move closer to personalized approaches to extending healthspan based on individual characteristics 1 .
The work presented at the Barshop Symposium contributes to the future of personalized aging interventions by identifying key biological pathways that differ between individuals and understanding how these differences influence aging trajectories. This knowledge will eventually allow researchers to develop more targeted and effective interventions to promote healthspan 1 .
Genetic Factors
Lifestyle Interventions
Pharmacological Approaches
The 2017 Barshop Symposium on Aging highlighted both the complexity of aging processes and the exciting progress being made to understand them. By focusing on sex differences, researchers are uncovering why men and women age differently and how interventions might need to be tailored to these differences 1 .
The study examining LRP1's role in protecting brain cells from inflammation exemplifies the kind of mechanistic research that is moving the field forward. By understanding not just what happens with aging but how and why it happens, scientists are developing increasingly sophisticated approaches to delay age-related functional decline and extend healthspan 1 .
As this research progresses, we move closer to a future where aging isn't just slowed but becomes a more healthy and vibrant period of life. The intimate, collaborative environment of the Barshop Symposium—continuing today as the Masoro-Barshop Conference on Aging—ensures that researchers continue to push the boundaries of what we know about aging and how we can influence it 2 .