Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026
Optical Clearing of the Mouse Central Nervous System Using Passive CLARITY
Published on: June 30, 2016
Degenerative protein modifications in the aging vasculature and central nervous system: A problem shared is not
Xavier Gallart-Palau1, Le Min Tan1, Aida Serra1
1School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551, Singapore.
Insights
Aging links cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases through shared molecular changes. Understanding these degenerative protein modifications (DPMs) can improve health-span and quality of life for older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Molecular Medicine
- Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Science
Background:
- Aging impacts both cardiovascular system (CVS) and central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
- Degenerative protein modifications (DPMs) are implicated in age-related CVS and CNS disorders like atherosclerosis, heart disease, dementia, and stroke.
- Current research often studies these disorders in isolation, missing potential common molecular underpinnings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on age-associated DPMs.
- To explore shared DPMs across age-related CVS and CNS diseases.
- To propose a unified framework for understanding age-related protein degeneration in both systems.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of age-associated degenerative protein modifications.
- Focus on carbamylation, citrullination, and deamidation.
- Analysis of studies linking DPMs to both cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
Main Results:
- Several key DPMs, including carbamylation, citrullination, and deamidation, are implicated in age-related diseases.
- Specific DPMs are found to be common across distinct age-related diseases affecting both the CVS and CNS.
- Evidence suggests a potential shared molecular basis for seemingly disparate age-related disorders.
Conclusions:
- Degenerative protein modifications represent a common molecular link between aging cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
- A unified approach focusing on shared DPMs could reveal universal mechanisms of age-related protein degeneration.
- Further research into these shared mechanisms may lead to improved health-span and quality of life.
Abstract:
Aging influences the pathogenesis and progression of several major diseases affecting both the cardiovascular system (CVS) and central nervous system (CNS). Defining the common molecular features that underpin these disorders in these crucial body systems will likely lead to increased quality of life and improved 'health-span' in the global aging population. Degenerative protein modifications (DPMs) have been strongly implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of several age-related diseases affecting the CVS and CNS, including atherosclerosis, heart disease, dementia syndromes, and stroke. However, these isolated findings have yet to be integrated into a wider framework, which considers the possibility that, despite their distinct features, CVS and CNS disorders may in fact be closely related phenomena. In this work, we review the current literature describing molecular roles of the major age-associated DPMs thought to significantly impact on human health, including carbamylation, citrullination and deamidation. In particular, we focus on data indicating that specific DPMs are shared between multiple age-related diseases in both CVS and CNS settings. By contextualizing these data, we aim to assist future studies in defining the universal mechanisms that underpin both vascular and neurological manifestations of age-related protein degeneration.
Related Concept Videos
01:25What is a Nervous System?
01:26Protein Modifications in the RER
Broadly, these modifications can be categorized into four main categories — glycosylation, formation of disulfide bonds, assembly of protein subunits, and specific proteolytic cleavages like removal of signal...
02:32Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
01:14The Parasympathetic Nervous System
01:25The Sympathetic Nervous System
02:25Spreading of Chromatin Modifications
Writers
The writer...