About

According to the WHO, the global percentage of people aged of more than 60 years will double from 11 to 22% between 2000 and 2050. Nowadays most of the elderly die of non-transmissible diseases like cardiopathies, cancer and diabetis more than infectious diseases and this even in poor countries.

Thus ageing is a key topic of the 21rst century and the Institut Pasteur wants to play a major role in research concerning this issue. A transdisciplinary working group has been constituted to study the basic mechanisms of ageing. The better comprehension of these mechanisms is a critical step to allow in fine healthy ageing.

The working group covers complementary areas of investigation :

  • DNA mutations and Repair
  • Cellular senescence
  • Stem cells
  • Physiology of ageing

For more general public information on our group, you can have access to The Journal de la Recherche or download the newsletter (in french).

Teams

Stem cells

Stem cells are essential for tissue repair. The number of stem cells decreases with ageing of the organism. Stem cells can also become senescent and loose their capacity to repair tissue. Recent discoveries allow transforming “classical” differenciated cells in stem cells. See below the description of one or more project on this subject.

Han Li
Head of Structure
Shahragim Tajbakhsh
Labex Coordinator
Elisa Gomez Perdiguero
Head of Structure

Cellular plasticity and Ageing

Ageing is associated with losing normal cellular plasticity (regeneration capacity) while acquiring abnormal cellular dys-plasticity (cancer). Cellular reprogramming is associated with a gain in the potential for differentiation and self-renewal. Could common pathways be […]

Senescence

Researchers also study ageing at the cellular level called cellular senescence. How does their genetic expression varies with ageing. Notably there is an accumulation of senescent cells with ageing and recent studies have shown that the elimination of senescent cells has beneficial outcomes in animal models. See below the description of one or more project on this subject.

Shahragim Tajbakhsh
Labex Coordinator

Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cellular Senescence and Age-Related Pathologies

Aging is multifactorial, resulting in a progressive loss of regenerative capacity and tissue function while simultaneously favoring disease development. There is strong evidence that one or more basic aging process is a pivotal driver […]

Physiology of ageing

Researchers have identified circulating factors that are present in the blood of young animals and absent in older ones. Furthermore Miria Richetti study the mecanisms linked to precocious ageing. See below the description of one or more project on this subject.

Lida Katsimpardi
Permanent Researcher
Miria Ricchetti
Group Leader
Aziz El Amraoui
Head of Structure

Mechanism of ageing and progeroid diseases

The mechanisms governing ageing, which is a multifactorial process, have not been resolved and constitute a fundamental open question in cell and organismal biology. Ageing is dramatically accelerated in some rare genetic disorders. Dissecting […]

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