Research Topic Highlights
The collection underscores the complex physiological alterations that accompany aging and their significance in age-related diseases, highlighting cellular, molecular, hormonal, microbiome, and vascular factors impacting healthspan and disease vulnerability. Several manuscripts detail the critical role oxidative stress, particularly through nitric oxide signaling pathways, plays within cardiovascular, neuronal, musculoskeletal, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and cognitive aging processes. Sex differences, especially those arising from post-menopausal estrogen deficiency, are underscored as important modulators of vascular stiffness, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular dysfunction, and Alzheimer's disease progression. Neural control mechanisms of urinary function and their impairment with aging are emphasized as relevant to age-related urinary dysfunction. Further studies explore genetic factors such as the Indy gene and its mammalian homolog mSLC13A5, which regulate metabolism, cellular proliferation, and aging across species, serving as promising therapeutic targets. Additionally, disrupted protein homeostasis via endoplasmic reticulum stress and microRNA dysregulation are addressed as key processes implicated in aging-related functional decline and disease susceptibility. Cardiovascular challenges, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), are highlighted for their increasing clinical relevance and complexity, requiring focused preclinical study of sex and age differences. Finally, the role of immunosenescence and alterations in gut microbiota during infectious challenges such as pneumonia is identified as critical mechanisms underlying higher morbidity and mortality in aged populations, thus emphasizing the intricate interplay between immunity, aging, and microbiota. Together, these abstracts highlight the diverse physiological challenges of aging, identify critical knowledge gaps, and provide potential directions for therapeutic advancement.
Context and Scope
We are proud to launch our Women in Aging Research Topic, a dedicated space to honor and celebrate the women behind impressive research in the Aging field, led by our very own Women Specialty Chief Editors of Frontiers in Aging.
The pandemic has, unfortunately, impacted women more than men and has resulted in a reduction in the academic output from women. Though there are an increasing number of women studying STEM subjects this fails to trickle up to the tenure-track positions, with only 34.3% of professors being female in the United States, in 2018. Outdated stereotypes, inflexibility and a lack of female peers in the workplace have slowed progress, however as the world actively chooses to challenge these traditions the outstanding achievements made by women in research are being recognized.
For the population in the Aging lens, older women’s health is less studied than that of reproductive health making accessible good healthcare for older women a challenge to find.
In honor of International Women’s Day, the Specialty Chief Editors of Frontiers in Aging are creating a space to celebrate the work of and spotlight excellent female researchers in the Aging Research field. In this topic we aim to highlight the work achieved/led by women in the field of Aging Research covering, but not limited to:
- Perspectives on the future of Aging Research
- Aging Research and its impact on older women
- Articles spotlighting excellent female led contributions to the field of Aging
- Perspectives on a specific field of Aging research inspired, started or sparked by a woman
- Research on gender disparities in healthcare in aging
- The differences in women’s aging mechanisms
- Submissions from minority groups are encouraged as we aim to have a global representation.
We strongly encourage the submission of manuscripts where the lead and/or corresponding author is female, and we recommend early career researchers to team up with senior female colleagues. However, we will welcome the submission of any article within the scope above irrespective of gender.
Research Topic Highlights
The collection underscores the complex physiological alterations that accompany aging and their significance in age-related diseases, highlighting cellular, molecular, hormonal, microbiome, and vascular factors impacting healthspan and disease vulnerability. Several manuscripts detail the critical role oxidative stress, particularly through nitric oxide signaling pathways, plays within cardiovascular, neuronal, musculoskeletal, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and cognitive aging processes. Sex differences, especially those arising from post-menopausal estrogen deficiency, are underscored as important modulators of vascular stiffness, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular dysfunction, and Alzheimer's disease progression. Neural control mechanisms of urinary function and their impairment with aging are emphasized as relevant to age-related urinary dysfunction. Further studies explore genetic factors such as the Indy gene and its mammalian homolog mSLC13A5, which regulate metabolism, cellular proliferation, and aging across species, serving as promising therapeutic targets. Additionally, disrupted protein homeostasis via endoplasmic reticulum stress and microRNA dysregulation are addressed as key processes implicated in aging-related functional decline and disease susceptibility. Cardiovascular challenges, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), are highlighted for their increasing clinical relevance and complexity, requiring focused preclinical study of sex and age differences. Finally, the role of immunosenescence and alterations in gut microbiota during infectious challenges such as pneumonia is identified as critical mechanisms underlying higher morbidity and mortality in aged populations, thus emphasizing the intricate interplay between immunity, aging, and microbiota. Together, these abstracts highlight the diverse physiological challenges of aging, identify critical knowledge gaps, and provide potential directions for therapeutic advancement.
Context and Scope
We are proud to launch our Women in Aging Research Topic, a dedicated space to honor and celebrate the women behind impressive research in the Aging field, led by our very own Women Specialty Chief Editors of Frontiers in Aging.
The pandemic has, unfortunately, impacted women more than men and has resulted in a reduction in the academic output from women. Though there are an increasing number of women studying STEM subjects this fails to trickle up to the tenure-track positions, with only 34.3% of professors being female in the United States, in 2018. Outdated stereotypes, inflexibility and a lack of female peers in the workplace have slowed progress, however as the world actively chooses to challenge these traditions the outstanding achievements made by women in research are being recognized.
For the population in the Aging lens, older women’s health is less studied than that of reproductive health making accessible good healthcare for older women a challenge to find.
In honor of International Women’s Day, the Specialty Chief Editors of Frontiers in Aging are creating a space to celebrate the work of and spotlight excellent female researchers in the Aging Research field. In this topic we aim to highlight the work achieved/led by women in the field of Aging Research covering, but not limited to:
- Perspectives on the future of Aging Research
- Aging Research and its impact on older women
- Articles spotlighting excellent female led contributions to the field of Aging
- Perspectives on a specific field of Aging research inspired, started or sparked by a woman
- Research on gender disparities in healthcare in aging
- The differences in women’s aging mechanisms
- Submissions from minority groups are encouraged as we aim to have a global representation.
We strongly encourage the submission of manuscripts where the lead and/or corresponding author is female, and we recommend early career researchers to team up with senior female colleagues. However, we will welcome the submission of any article within the scope above irrespective of gender.