TY - JOUR

T1 - Flies, worms and the Free Radical Theory of ageing

AU - Clancy, David

AU - Birdsall, John

PY - 2013/1

Y1 - 2013/1

N2 - Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans have provided the largest body of evidence addressing the Free Radical Theory of ageing, however the evidence has not been unequivocally supportive. Oxidative damage to DNA is probably not a major contributor, damage to lipids is assuming greater importance and damage to proteins probably the source of pathology. On balance the evidence does not support a primary role of oxidative damage in ageing in C. elegans, perhaps because of its particular energy metabolic and stress resistance profile. Evidence is more numerous, varied and consistent and hence more compelling for Drosophila, although not conclusive. However there is good evidence for a role of oxidative damage in later life pathology. Future work should: 1/ make more use of protein oxidative damage measurements; 2/ use inducible transgenic systems or pharmacotherapy to ensure genetic equivalence of controls and avoid confounding effects during development; 3/ to try to delay ageing, target interventions which reduce and/or repair protein oxidative damage.

AB - Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans have provided the largest body of evidence addressing the Free Radical Theory of ageing, however the evidence has not been unequivocally supportive. Oxidative damage to DNA is probably not a major contributor, damage to lipids is assuming greater importance and damage to proteins probably the source of pathology. On balance the evidence does not support a primary role of oxidative damage in ageing in C. elegans, perhaps because of its particular energy metabolic and stress resistance profile. Evidence is more numerous, varied and consistent and hence more compelling for Drosophila, although not conclusive. However there is good evidence for a role of oxidative damage in later life pathology. Future work should: 1/ make more use of protein oxidative damage measurements; 2/ use inducible transgenic systems or pharmacotherapy to ensure genetic equivalence of controls and avoid confounding effects during development; 3/ to try to delay ageing, target interventions which reduce and/or repair protein oxidative damage.

KW - Free Radical Theory of ageing

KW - Drosophila

KW - C. elegans

KW - Oxidative damage

KW - Inducible transgenic systems

U2 - 10.1016/j.arr.2012.03.011

DO - 10.1016/j.arr.2012.03.011

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22504404

VL - 12

SP - 404

EP - 412

JO - Ageing Research Reviews

JF - Ageing Research Reviews

SN - 1872-9649

IS - 1

ER -