Aging
People are living longer, and that means more time to enjoy the pleasures of one’s life—spending time with family, practicing beloved hobbies, studying topics of interest. But at the same time, longer lives mean more time for the health problems that come with aging.
Babies born in the U.S. in the year 1900 were expected to live an average of just 47 years. By 1998, newborns were expected to live to an average age of 79. Scientists have predicted that the average life expectancy should continue to rise about 2.5 years per decade.
Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
About 6 million Americans, most of them older than age 64, have dementia caused by Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's patients live an average of 8-10 years after diagnosis.
It's unclear exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia, but we know there are genetic risk factors that make people more prone to developing the conditions.
Alzheimer’s has about 60% heritability. The Lieber Institute’s unique collection of postmortem brains gives our scientists access to brain tissue of all ages. By examining brain tissue at all stages of life, scientists are looking for signs and symptoms characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease at many ages, trying to identify the biological mechanisms of the disease in hopes of preventing and treating it.
Lieber Institute scientists use a cutting-edge technique called singlecell genomics to study the various types of cells in the human brain. They’ve found that about 10-20% of human neurons have complex genomic rearrangements that set them apart from a person’s other neurons. These so-called CNV neurons are uniquely susceptible to aging-related death. Lieber scientists are interested in how CNV neurons are active in schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The Institute pioneered an advanced technique that allows scientists to examine the genomics of a single cell at a time, using the technology to parse out varying genes between cells of the same person. They hope the technology will help develop screening to establish who is at risk of Alzheimer’s disease and drug targets to allow doctors to treat Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
“The unfortunate consequence of today’s longer lifespan is an increased prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative disease and dementia. A clear understanding of the initiating events in agerelated brain disease could provide new drug targets to extend the human health span. My lab studies CNV neurons, how they alter the genetic landscape of schizophrenia, and how some may contribute to resilience to Alzheimer’s disease. We also develop induced pluripotent stem cell-based models of neurodegenerative disease to allow scientists to study these conditions better.”
Michael McConnell, PhD, Investigator
