Precision Nutrition and Aging Program

This has been a year of successful and productive consolidation for the Research Program “Precision Nutrition and Ageing”. The four Groups that compose this Program have made important contributions to different aspects of the interaction between nutrition and ageing. These include:

  • the discovery that a main nutrient sensor gene, SIRT1, is an important protector against cancer (Metabolic Syndrome Group, published in EMBO Reports);
  • the observation that enzymes that produce NAD, which is the subtrate of SIRT1, can recapitulate some beneficial effects of reduced caloric intake (Nutritional Interventions Group, published in Aging Cell);
  • the identification of protective mechanisms against atherosclerosis mediated by the protein Caveolin-1 (Posttranscriptional Regulation of Metabolic Diseases Group, published in Circulation); and,
  • the discovery of the anti-tumoral activity of a particular venom-derived peptide, known as Gomesin (Hepatic Regenerative Medicine, published in Scientific Reports).

In addition, our investigators have secured funding from prestigious competitive agencies, such as two projects from the Spanish National Plan (RETOS), one grant from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), and one grant from the Australian Government (NHMRC). These awards reflect the demonstrated quality of the research of our scientists and guarantee that they will continue making exciting discoveries during the coming years.