Advancing Research
by funding Grant Programs and Fellowships
Driving Innovation
by guiding studies such as the FAST Initiative, the SuperAgers Initiative, and the TAME Trial
Furthering the Field
by supporting the infrastructure of three NIA Initiatives and leading the Amplifying Geroscience Initiative.
Top Breakthroughs driven by AFAR Experts
Delaying Disease by Targeting Aging
Saving Costs by Extending Healthspan
What are the Hallmarks of Aging?
How and Why Do We Age?
What is Geroscience?
What is the Longevity Dividend?
What's Next in aging research?
Mitochondria serve not only as the major source of cellular energy, but also as a coordinator of the metabolic system. That coordination requires communication.
Dr. Lee is interested in how mitochondria transmit messages to regulate metabolic homeostasis during aging. Mitochondrial signaling has emerged as a key regulator of aging, but signals that have been described to date are not encoded in the mitochondrial genome.
Dr. Lee and his team recently discovered a novel peptide encoded within the mitochondrial DNA. This peptide, MOTS-c, acts on the skeletal muscle and promotes cellular glucose and fatty acid metabolism.
Dr. Lee hopes to determine the agedependent impact of MOTS-c on metabolic aging in mice, including physical performance, and to examine the role of MOTS-c in regulating cellular metabolism in skeletal muscle of young vs. aged mice. His findings will hopefully add a "mitochondrial-centric" layer to the regulation of aging metabolism and lead to new therapies for age-dependent metabolic conditions.
