Grant: Foundation Grant

Most diseases that threaten Canadians, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic diseases, and neurodegenerative disease (such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease) are associated with age: they are much more likely in older individuals. Our goal is to understand the role that free radicals (also called reactive oxygen species (ROS)) play in the overall process of aging and in age-dependent diseases. Free radicals are chemically reactive molecules, which means that they can potentially damage cellular constituents. However, we have discovered that, rather than causing aging, the important role of free radicals as regulators of cell function contributes to longevity by helping cells and organisms to react to, and combat, various stresses. On the other hand, in aging individuals, the production and removal of these free radicals becomes much less well-balanced. It is in this situation that free radicals can be produced in excess, thus leading to damage to cells and promoting the development of disease. We are studying the role of free radicals in both situations, beneficial in young individuals and potentially deleterious old individuals, in order to learn both to harness their beneficial properties and protect from their deleterious effects.