Regula Furrer

Biomarkers of aging: from molecules and surrogates to physiology and function | Physiological Reviews | American Physiological Society Many countries face an unprecedented challenge in aging demographics. This has led to an exponential growth in research on aging, which, coupled to a massive financial influx of funding in the private and public sectors, has resulted in seminal insights into the underpinnings of this biological process. However, critical validation in humans has been hampered by the limited translatability of results obtained in model organisms, additionally confined by the need for extremely time-consuming clinical studies in the ostensible absence of robust biomarkers that would allow monitoring in shorter time frames. In the future, molecular parameters might hold great promise in this regard. In contrast, biomarkers centered on function, resilience, and frailty are available at the present time, with proven predictive value for morbidity and mortality. In this review, the current knowledge of molecular and physiological aspects of human aging, potential antiaging strategies, and the basis, evidence, and potential application of physiological biomarkers in human aging are discussed.

Now out in the typeset, final version! #openaccess

"Biomarkers of aging: from molecules and surrogates to physiology and function"

@apspublications.bsky.social @apsphysiology.bsky.social @regula-furrer.bsky.social @biozentrum.unibas.ch @unibas.ch

doi.org/10.1152/phys...

22.04.2025 13:49 — 👍 7    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Biomarkers of aging: from molecules and surrogates to physiology and function | Physiological Reviews | American Physiological Society Many countries face an unprecedented challenge in aging demographics. This has led to an exponential growth in research of aging, which, coupled to a massive financial influx of funding in the private and public sectors, has resulted in seminal insights into the underpinnings of this biological process. However, critical validation in humans have been hampered by the limited translatability of results obtained in model organisms, additionally confined by the need for extremely time-consuming clinical studies in the ostensible absence of robust biomarkers that would allow monitoring in shorter time frames. In the future, molecular parameters might hold great promise in this regard. In contrast, biomarkers centered on function, resilience and frailty are available at the present time, with proven predictive value for morbidity and mortality. In this review, the current knowledge of molecular and physiological aspects of human aging, potential anti-aging strategies, and the basis, evidence, and potential application of physiological biomarkers in human aging are discussed.

Our magnum opus on everything related to #aging is out as a preprint in Physiological Reviews @apspublications.bsky.social @apsphysiology.bsky.social #openaccess. Great collaboration with @regula-furrer.bsky.social @biozentrum.unibas.ch @unibas.ch.

doi.org/10.1152/phys...

Some teasers:
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28.03.2025 12:54 — 👍 26    🔁 10    💬 1    📌 0

Biomarkers of aging: functional aspects still trump molecular parameters - npj Aging Biomarkers of aging are indispensable for testing interventions. While promising, the recent focus on molecular aspects should not detract from the functional parameters for which excellent correlatio...

... gait speed. Still better than anything molecular biomarkers can provide. Our commentary (with @regula-furrer.bsky.social @biozentrum.unibas.ch @unibas.ch) out now in NPJ Aging:

doi.org/10.1038/s415...

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03.03.2025 14:15 — 👍 12    🔁 4    💬 1    📌 0

... human cohorts only exist for physiological and functional biomarkers. Thus, if you want to know your "biological age", measure VO2max, muscle/grip strength/power, body composition (muscle mass, fat mass and distribution), leisure time physical activity, and, at advanced age,...

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03.03.2025 14:15 — 👍 1    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0

What are good #biomarkers of #aging? Exciting data on plasma proteomics, epigenetic clocks and other molecular parameters might supplement existing biomarkers of health, morbidity and mortality in the future. However, at the moment, good clinical data from large and heterogeneous...

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03.03.2025 14:15 — 👍 5    🔁 3    💬 1    📌 0

Metabolic alterations in dysferlinopathies contribute to disease pathology. From https://doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202402991

Our new paper on #metabolism in #dysferlinopathies / #LGMD2B is out! Why is restoration of membrane repair insufficient to improve disease pathology? Possible explanations in this paper by @regula-furrer.bsky.social and colleagues @biozentrum.unibas.ch @unibas.ch

doi.org/10.26508/lsa...

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01.03.2025 14:44 — 👍 10    🔁 2    💬 2    📌 0

Doctoral Student (PhD/Dr. rer. nat., m/f/div., E13 TV-L 65%) - Deutsches Diabetes-Zentrum (DDZ) A job-opening of the German Diabetes-Center (DDZ). (24681)

Very happy to share that my research group has launched at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) in Düsseldorf!

We're looking for a PhD student to study the effects of inter-tissue communication on energy balance and metabolic health. Interested? Get in touch!

ddz.de/en/job/docto...

13.02.2025 09:11 — 👍 17    🔁 10    💬 1    📌 1

Cellular crosstalk in skeletal muscle? A surprising role for mast cells? Histamine as a signal transducer during exercise? Check out the story in @cp-cellmetabolism.bsky.social 🧵

@wimderave.bsky.social, @ugent-fge.bsky.social, @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

07.02.2025 09:52 — 👍 15    🔁 9    💬 3    📌 2

The molecular athlete: exercise physiology from mechanisms to medals | Physiological Reviews Human skeletal muscle demonstrates remarkable plasticity, adapting to numerous external stimuli including the habitual level of contractile loading. Accordingly, muscle function and exercise capacity ...

BTW, if you want more background information/reading for any of these papers, I shamelessly plug “The molecular athlete: exercise physiology from mechanisms to medals” by @regula-furrer.bsky.social, John Hawley and me (@c-handschin.bsky.social).

journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10....

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30.01.2025 07:33 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Molecular aspects of the exercise response and training adaptation in skeletal muscle Skeletal muscle plasticity enables an enormous potential to adapt to various internal and external stimuli and perturbations. Most notably, changes in…

“Molecular aspects of the exercise response and training adaptation in skeletal muscle” by @regula-furrer.bsky.social and yours truly (@c-handschin.bsky.social).

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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30.01.2025 07:33 — 👍 4    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0

From molecular to physical function: The aging trajectory - PubMed Aging is accompanied by a decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical function, a condition known as sarcopenia. Muscle disuse attributed to decreased physical activity, hospitalization, or illness...

A review highlighting the physiological adaptations driving #muscle-aging and their potential mitigation with
#exercise / #physical-activity and nutrition: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39811024/

20.01.2025 16:17 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Global consensus on optimal exercise recommendations for enhancing healthy longevity in older adults (ICFSR) Aging, a universal and inevitable process, is characterized by a progressive accumulation of physiological alterations and functional decline over tim…

Great overview on implementing #exercise in older adults to improve health www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

04.01.2025 18:51 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0