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Feb 14

Low-Protein Diet Slows Alzheimer’s in Mice

By Featured

Mice with many of the pathologies of Alzheimer’s Disease showed fewer signs of the disease when given a protein-restricted diet supplemented with specific amino acids every other week for four months.

Mice at advanced stages of the disease were put on the new diet. They showed improved cognitive abilities over their non-dieting peers when their memory was tested using mazes. In addition, fewer of their neurons contained abnormal levels of a damaged protein, called “tau,” which accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Dietary protein is the major dietary regulator of a growth hormone known as IGF-1, which has been associated with aging and diseases in mice and several diseases in older adults.

Upcoming studies by USC Professor Valter Longo, the study’s corresponding author, will attempt to determine whether humans respond similarly – while simultaneously examining the effects of dietary restrictions on cancer, diabetes and cardiac disease.

“We had previously shown that humans deficient in Growth Hormone receptor and IGF-I displayed reduced incidence of cancer and diabetes. Although the new study is in mice, it raises the possibility that low protein intake and low IGF-I may also protect from age-dependent neurodegeneration,” said Longo, who directs the Longevity Institute of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and has a joint appointment the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Longo worked with Pinchas Cohen, dean of the USC Leonard Davis School, as well as USC graduate students Edoardo Parrella, Tom Maxim, Lu Zhang, Junxiang Wan and Min Wei; Francesca Maialetti of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome; and Luigi Fontana of Washington University in St. Louis.

“Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of neurodegeneration are a major burden on society, and it is a rising priority for this nation to develop new approaches for preventing and treating these conditions, since the frequencies of these disorders will be rising as the population ages over the next several decades,” said Cohen, who became dean of the School of Gerontology in summer 2012. “New strategies to address this, particularly non-invasive, non-pharmacological approaches such as tested in Dr. Longo’s study are particularly exciting.”

The results of their study were published online by Aging Cell last month.

The team found that a protein-restricted diet reduced levels of IGF-1 circulating through the body by 30 to 70 percent, and caused an eight-fold increase in a protein that blocks IGF-1’s effects by binding to it.

IGF-1 helps the body grow during youth but is also associated with several diseases later in life in both mice and humans. Exploring dietary solutions to those diseases as opposed to generating pharmaceuticals to manipulate IGF-1 directly allows Longo’s team to make strides that could help sufferers today or in the next few years.

“We always try to do things for people who have the problem now,” Longo said. “Developing a drug can take 15 years of trials and a billion dollars.

“Although only clinical trials can determine whether the protein-restricted diet is effective and safe in humans with cognitive impairment, a doctor could read this study today and, if his or her patient did not have any other viable options, could consider introducing the protein restriction cycles in the treatment – understanding that effective interventions in mice may not translate into effective human therapies,” he said.

Many elderly individuals may have already be frail, have lost weight or may not be healthy enough to eat a protein-restricted diet every other week. Longo strongly insisted that any dieting be monitored by a doctor or registered dietitian to make sure that patients do not become amino acid-deficient, lose additional weight or develop other side effects.

This research was funded in part by NIH Grant P01AG034906.

Feb 07

Aging behind bars

By Featured
The "Golden Girls" are female inmates ages 55 and over who are serving time at the California Institution for Women. USC student Aileen Hongo is working hard to advocate for these geriatric prisoners.
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Jan 09

Dying Young: Americans Less Likely To Make it To 50

By Featured

A report released today by the National Academies paints a dire picture of American health. Not only do people in the United States die sooner than people in other high-income countries, but American health is poorer than in peer countries at every stage of life – from birth to childhood to adolescence, in youth and middle age, and for older adults.

“The problem is not limited to people who are poor or uninsured,” said Eileen Crimmins, AARP Chair in Gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and a member of the National Research Council panel that compiled the report. “Even Americans with health insurance, higher incomes, college education and healthy behaviors such as not smoking seem to be sicker than their counterparts in other countries.”

In contrast to prior research on life expectancy that focused on people over 50, the ten-person panel, chaired by Steven H. Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University, examined potential health disadvantages among younger Americans — and found that Americans are less likely to make it to age 50 at all.

Deaths before 50 account for about two-thirds of the difference in male life expectancy between the United States and other developed countries and about one-third of the difference in female life expectancy, the report found.

Among the 17 peer countries — all high-income democracies with relatively large populations — examined by the panel, people in the United States are much more likely to die of almost everything, including injury, noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, and communicable diseases such as HIV.

In particular, among the countries studied:

  • Americans are the most likely to die in transportation accidents. The rate of violent death is also significantly higher in the United States, especially death from firearms. Overall, the United States had the second highest death rate from injury (behind Finland).
  • Americans are much more likely than people in peer countries to die from maternal conditions related to pregnancy. Since the 1990s, among high-income countries, teenagers in the United States have much higher rates of pregnancy and are more likely to acquire sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Though the incidence of AIDS has fallen in the last two decades, the United States still has the highest incidence of AIDS among peer countries. Overall, the United States has the fourth highest mortality from communicable diseases (behind Portugal, Japan and the UK).
  • The U.S. has the highest prevalence of diabetes and high rates of obesity, starting in childhood. The U.S. has the second highest death rate from noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease (behind Denmark).

“No single factor can fully explain the health disadvantage we have in the United States,” Crimmins said. “But we must start a national discussion about what investments and tradeoffs Americans are prepared to make for health, and encourage research on the causes of the problem and the strategies and approaches adopted by other nations.”For an interactive chart of how the United States stacks up against peer countries in various causes of death, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE/CPOP/DBASSE_080393#deaths-from-all-causes.

In their report, the expert panel identifies several likely explanations for the unhealthiness of Americans, including high levels of poverty in the United States and a built environment that is designed around automobiles. In addition, while Americans are currently less likely to smoke and drink less, we consume the most calories per person and have higher rates of drug abuse, the report found.

“This is not a contest with other countries, but a tragedy that Americans are dying earlier and suffering from illness and injury at rates that are avoidable,” said Crimmins. “Americans can have better health, with important implications for the economy and competitiveness.”

For a full copy of the report, “U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health,” visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE/CPOP/US_Health_in_International_Perspective/index.htm#.UOytBbZq7x4.

Jan 08

Dr. Phil Interviews USC Davis Alum

By Alumni, Featured

With some studies showing that as many as 1 in 10 older adults—with 1 in 2 with dementia—becoming victims of elder abuse, the issue has never been more important to tackle.

Identifying and combating elder abuse was the topic of the Jan. 8, 2012 episode of Dr. Phil, and featured a very special guest expert: USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology PhD grad Kerry Parker Burnight.

Burnight, who is a faculty member at the University of California at Irvine is a high-profile elder justice advocate who is a member of the Ageless Alliance, a collective of experts dedicated to fighting elder abuse by building awareness, providing support and increasing community involvement.

“We are so proud of Kerry’s amazing career and that she continues to bring attention to such an important and necessary subject that affects us all,” said Pinchas Cohen, dean of the USC Leonard Davis School. “She represents the very best ideals of gerontology and I hope viewers will take her excellent advice to heart.”

Dec 14

USC Davis School Students Shine in Older Adult-Friendly App Competition

By Featured, Students

Helping seniors harness the social media revolution for their increased health and happiness is a major component in USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology dean Pinchas Cohen’s plans for the future of the institution.

Dubbing this phenomenon “Digital Aging,” he held a competition for USC Leonard Davis School students and staff to help design the best possible aging-friendly mobile app. Awarding winners an iPad and runners-up iPods and iPhones, Cohen announced the results at the School’s annual holiday party.

With a slew of exciting proposals that included medication reminders, home and environment modification safety alerts, end-of-life care assistance and memoir-creation technology, honorable mentions went to doctoral students Jeff Laguna and Patrick Beck, staffer Jana Peretti and undergrads Carin Wong and Cameron Chalfant.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for students to engage in innovative approaches to helping the aging population,” Beck said.

Second runner-up was doctoral student Alison Balbag, who suggested an app called “MyTunes” that would provide musical therapy for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. First runner-up was undergrad Sahar Edalati, who proposed an app to help older adults locate any lost item, from pill bottles to keys, using GPS technology.

Dean Cohen with App Competition Winner Marguerite DeLiema.

The winners were doctoral student Marguerite DeLiema and grad student Allison Young, who teamed up to propose an app to aid first responders to elder abuse, as well the older adult impacted by it.

“We’re hoping this tool can be used to help guide whether or not the case meets criteria for elder abuse and help first responders identify the nearest agencies to connect older adults for assistance and support,” DeLiema said. “We want to help a vulnerable person become more embedded in their community as well as to help people become more knowledgeable about detecting elder abuse and what to do.”

This concept sparked so much interest from USC Leonard Davis School faculty members that DeLiema and Young are hoping to expand the idea to include a cognitive screening for older adults who may seem to be self-sufficient but may actually be vulnerable to certain frauds and scams.

“In the spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration for which our School is famous, I plan on bringing in USC’s computer science, art, design and engineering experts to help make these apps a reality,” Cohen said. “Social media and cutting-edge technology offers older adults such amazing opportunities and assets, and I am so proud of the creative, ingenious solutions our students suggested.”

Dec 13

Alumni Update: Maribeth Bersani

By Alumni, Featured

Maribeth Bersani earned her master of science in gerontology in 1978 from the USC Leonard Davis School. Today, she’s the Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) in Alexandria, Virginia.

USC Leonard Davis: Hi Maribeth. Could you describe the work of ALFA?

MARIBETH BERSANI: The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) was founded in 1990 to serve as the voice for providers of senior living communities and the seniors and families those communities serve. Advocacy is an essential component of ALFA’s public policy program.

How would you describe your work?

As the Senior Vice President for Public Policy, I help ALFA and our members champion consumer-driven public policy to promote choice, independence, dignity and quality of life for America’s seniors. We serve as a resource to elected officials and policy makers at the federal and state level, and help educate and inform them about senior living.

What made you choose the USC Leonard Davis School?

When I was a senior in high school my grandmother with diabetes had to have her leg amputated. She went to a nursing home for rehabilitation services. I had never been in a nursing home before but after that first exposure I decided I wanted to help the seniors living in nursing homes. I volunteered my senior year and then worked at the nursing home in the activities department during my summer vacations. My undergraduate degree was in psychology but my college had recently started offering courses on aging. Paul Kershner from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology came to speak to our class. I knew I wanted to study gerontology and quite frankly at the time (1976) there were only a few schools that offered the degree. USC had the master-level degree and that is what I wanted.

How did you learn about your current position?

I have been working in the field of aging for over 30 years. About 17 years ago I switched from being a public sector employee working for the New York State Office for the Aging to the private sector working for Sunrise Senior Living. That opportunity helped me learn the business of senior living. Sunrise Senior Living was the founder of ALFA and I had always worked closely with the organization. When I had to opportunity to join ALFA six years ago, it was an opportunity to broaden my scope and work on behalf of all providers, not just one company.

How did your USC Leonard Davis School experience help prepare you for your career?

The USC Leonard Davis curriculum was multi-disciplinary. It provided a well-rounded education on all issues related to aging. At the time we did an internship that enabled students to pursue particular interests in direct service, public policy or other areas related to aging and long-term care. I can still remember sitting in class seeing the demographic charts showing the growth of the elderly population that was expected in 2010 and thinking that was a lifetime away.

What advice would you offer current or prospective USC Leonard Davis students?

My advice to anyone thinking about studying at the USC Leonard Davis School is to do it! There are so many career opportunities in the field of aging. There are today and will continue to be many doors open for people with a degree in gerontology. Opportunities exist in public policy, direct care, legislative, regulatory and legal fields to name a few. In 2031, the first of the baby boomers will be 85 years old. Take it from someone who thought 2010 was a lifetime away: it will be here before you know it.

Dec 07

Richardson wins Kesten Memorial Lecture Award

By Featured

The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology welcomed Arlan Richardson as the 36th recipient of the Kesten Memorial Lecture award.

Established in 1973 to honor the grandparents of Alan Davis, son of School founder Leonard Davis, the Kesten Memorial Lectureship provides prominent scholars in the field of aging the opportunity to discuss their research as well as to meet with Andrus Gerontology Center faculty and students for information discussions.

Drawing raves from attendees for his special presentation, “Rapamycin: The First Anti-Aging Pill?” Richardson added another award to a distinguished career that includes his position as the founding director of the Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The former president of the Gerontological Society of America as well as of the American Aging Association, Richardson was also responsible for organizing the first Gordon Research Conference in Europe and serving on the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Institute on Aging.

Richardson’s talk was well attended by experts across campus, including such world-class biologists as Caleb Finch, Kelvin J.A. Davies, Enrique Cadenas, Valter Longo, Edward Schneider, John Tower, Sean Curran and Christian Pike.

“On behalf of the USC Leonard Davis School, allow me to say how happy we are to honor such an esteemed figure in the field of aging as both a friend and colleague,” said Pinchas Cohen, dean of the School. “His lecture was not only illuminating but also incredibly thought-provoking.”

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