Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Radiosynthesis of 1-(2-[18F]Fluoroethyl)-L-Tryptophan using a One-pot, Two-step Protocol
08:33

Radiosynthesis of 1-(2-[18F]Fluoroethyl)-L-Tryptophan using a One-pot, Two-step Protocol

Published on: September 21, 2021

Tryptophan metabolism: entering the field of aging and age-related pathologies

Annemieke T van der Goot1, Ellen A A Nollen

  • 1University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands.

Trends in Molecular Medicine
|April 9, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Aging is linked to diseases like cancer. Modulating tryptophan metabolism, a conserved pathway, shows promise in protecting against age-related diseases and extending lifespan in model organisms.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology and metabolic signaling pathways.
  • Molecular mechanisms of aging and disease.
  • Tryptophan metabolism and its biological significance.

Background:

  • Aging is a major risk factor for numerous diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration.
  • Metabolic pathways like insulin/IGF-1 (IIS) and TOR are known to influence aging and lifespan.
  • Emerging research highlights tryptophan metabolism's role in regulating age-related conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of tryptophan metabolism in aging and age-related diseases.
  • To understand how tryptophan metabolism integrates environmental and metabolic signals.
  • To highlight tryptophan metabolism as a key regulator of animal health and longevity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on aging, metabolic pathways, and tryptophan metabolism.
  • Analysis of conserved enzymes and metabolites within the tryptophan pathway.
  • Comparative studies across multiple model organisms.

Main Results:

  • Interference with IIS and TOR pathways in model organisms confers protection against age-related diseases and extends lifespan.
  • Tryptophan metabolism is implicated as a significant regulator of lifespan and age-related pathologies.
  • The high evolutionary conservation of tryptophan metabolism allows for detailed study of its components.

Conclusions:

  • Tryptophan metabolism acts as a crucial pathway integrating environmental and metabolic cues.
  • This pathway plays a vital role in regulating animal healthspan and lifespan.
  • Further research into tryptophan metabolism offers potential therapeutic targets for age-related diseases.

More Related Videos

Simultaneous Quantification of Selected Kynurenines Analyzed by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Medium Collected from Cancer Cell Cultures10:38

Simultaneous Quantification of Selected Kynurenines Analyzed by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Medium Collected from Cancer Cell Cultures

Published on: May 9, 2020

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B11:44

Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B

Published on: January 19, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism01:18

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism

Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption01:22

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption

As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution01:00

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age01:27

Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways01:29

Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways

Amino acid biosynthesis is essential for cell growth, protein synthesis, and metabolic regulation. Cells generate essential and non-essential amino acids from metabolic intermediates to sustain vital biological functions. These intermediates originate from key metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Important precursors include α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and erythrose-4-phosphate, which provide...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion01:18

Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion

In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...