Longitudinal Functional Study of Murine Aging: A Resource for Future Study Designs

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and regenerative medicine
• Preclinical models of aging
• Skeletal aging and bone metabolism

Background:

• Aging is a complex process involving systemic declines in tissue and organ function.
• Interventions that mitigate aging processes could prevent age-related diseases and enhance quality of life.
• Mouse models are crucial for studying aging and testing potential therapeutic interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of interventions associated with lifespan extension or age-related disease improvement in mouse models.
• To assess the impact of these interventions on a broad spectrum of functional aging assays.
• To establish reference rates of change for key aging parameters in mice.

Main Methods:

• Testing of several interventions, including Benzoxazole, in mouse models.
• Comprehensive functional assays measuring parameters like kyphosis, blood glucose, body composition, activity, and metabolic measures.
• Detailed analysis of skeletal aging parameters in bone.

Main Results:

• Benzoxazole demonstrated a significant effect in slowing age-related femoral bone loss in mice.
• Rates of change for various aging biomarkers were established in untreated mice.
• An online application was developed to aid in calculating power and variance for aging metrics.

Conclusions:

• Interventions targeting aging processes can be effectively studied in mouse models.
• Benzoxazole shows potential as a therapeutic agent for mitigating age-related bone loss.
• The developed resource aids in the design of future preclinical aging studies and intervention trials.