Identifying molecular hallmarks of aging to guide the development of anti-aging therapies

Dr. Melov looks for clues about aging and age-related disease by exploring the role of the energy-making units inside cells.  These units called mitochondria produce a chemical fuel that powers the cell’s work.  But mitochondria also release damaging “free radicals’’ that are linked to disease. The Melov lab studies proteins that help the mitochondria detoxify free radicals.   Dr. Melov also tracks the decline of function in mitochondria that comes with age.  This can be seen on a molecular level by identifying the genes that are active in mitochondria when an animal is young, and when it is older.  In a landmark study, Dr. Melov showed that the more vigorous pattern of mitochondrial gene expression found in young adults could be partially restored in older adults who followed an exercise program for six months.   The Melov lab looks for broader genetic “fingerprints’’ of aging by surveying the patterns of gene activity in a range of animals, including human beings and the nematode worm C. elegans.   The lab has used gene expression profiles to reliably predict whether an animal is old or young, and sometimes to pinpoint an estimated age for the animal.  This work may lead to methods of diagnosing an individual’s rate of aging, and may possibly suggest avenues for anti-aging therapies.  Dr. Melov is investigating exercise as such a therapeutic agent.

Dr. Melov received his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of London, UK.  Melov held positions at Emory University in Atlanta and at the University of Colorado in Boulder before joining the faculty of the Buck Institute in 1999.

Media Expertise
Dr. Melov welcomes media inquiries on the following subjects:
Genetics of aging, aging and exercise, antioxidants and aging.

smelov@buckinstitute.org
Phone: 415-209-2068
Lab Admin Coordinator: Vickie Hogue
vhogue@buckinstitute.org
Phone: 415-209-2202
Fax: 415-493-3690

“Efforts to extend healthspan by delaying the aging process are moving from ‘impossible’ to ‘inevitable’. The Buck Institute is uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in this new area of medicine.” 

- Simon Melov, PhD