Andrew Verdesca has been studying the aging process since he was an undergraduate. As one of the "few universal human experiences," the biology of aging has always fascinated Verdesca, who is now a Ph.D. student in Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
"It's one thing we all do," says Verdesca, who is part of Josien van Wolfswinkel's lab in Yale's Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. "And yet we know so little about it."
But new research from Verdesca, van Wolfskwinkel, and others offers fresh insights into our understanding of aging - including an unexpected twist. Contrary to popular belief, cellular "wear and tear" is not the only culprit behind age-related decline, they find. It turns out that a breakdown in the body's "internal positioning system" - which directs cellular location - may play a significant role, too.
Their findings are published in the journal Current Biology.
In the study, researchers focused on the planarian, a small flatworm famous for its long lifespan and its remarkable ability to regenerate. When cut into pieces, each flatworm section can regrow into a complete animal. Thanks to this constant renewal of cells, planarians have been dubbed "nearly immortal."
But there is one glitch: The worms are only fertile for a few brief months. "It's really strange," Verdesca says, "because these animals live for years, if not decades, and the fact that they are able to reproduce for such a short period of time is surprising."
