Publisher's Synopsis
A broad-ranging study of the latest developments in the field of molecular biogerontology, this book examines the many molecular changes which occur during senescence and attempts to pinpoint the fundamental biological pacemakers of aging. Using recombinant DNA technology, investigators examine the importance of DNA damage and the extent of differential gene expression during aging. Attempts to manipulate the lifespans of various model organisms through gene transfer and regulated gene expression are also discussed. The involvement of viruses in the aging process, molecular approaches to age-related diseases and metabolic aspects of cell death such as the role of oxygen in free-radical toxicity have been examined by eminent researchers in the field. Throughout the text, contributors stress that the genome holds the ultimate key to understanding the limitations of lifespan and the determinants of senescence.
