Network Topology of Biological Aging and Geroscience-Guided Approaches to COVID-19

Alan Landay; Jenna M. Bartley; Jenna M. Bartley; Dishary Banerjee; Geneva Hargis; Laura Haynes; Laura Haynes; Ali Keshavarzian; Chia-Ling Kuo; Chia-Ling Kuo; Oh Sung Kwon; Oh Sung Kwon; Sheng Li; Sheng Li; Shuzhao Li; Shuzhao Li; Julia Oh; Julia Oh; Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat; Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat; Duygu Ucar; Duygu Ucar; Ming Xu; Ming Xu; Xudong Yao; Derya Unutmaz; Derya Unutmaz; George A. Kuchel

doi:10.3389/fragi.2021.695218

Frontiers in Aging (Jul 2021)

Network Topology of Biological Aging and Geroscience-Guided Approaches to COVID-19

Alan Landay,
Jenna M. Bartley,
Jenna M. Bartley,
Dishary Banerjee,
Geneva Hargis,
Laura Haynes,
Laura Haynes,
Ali Keshavarzian,
Chia-Ling Kuo,
Chia-Ling Kuo,
Oh Sung Kwon,
Oh Sung Kwon,
Sheng Li,
Sheng Li,
Shuzhao Li,
Shuzhao Li,
Julia Oh,
Julia Oh,
Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat,
Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat,
Duygu Ucar,
Duygu Ucar,
Ming Xu,
Ming Xu,
Xudong Yao,
Derya Unutmaz,
Derya Unutmaz,
George A. Kuchel

Affiliations

Alan Landay: Department of Medicine, Rush School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
Jenna M. Bartley: UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Jenna M. Bartley: Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Dishary Banerjee: Engineering Science and Mechanics Department, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
Geneva Hargis: UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Laura Haynes: UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Laura Haynes: Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Ali Keshavarzian: Division of Digestive Diseases, Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology, Molecular Biophysics and Physiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
Chia-Ling Kuo: UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Chia-Ling Kuo: Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering, Storrs, CT, United States
Oh Sung Kwon: UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Oh Sung Kwon: Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
Sheng Li: Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Sheng Li: Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Shuzhao Li: Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Shuzhao Li: Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Julia Oh: Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Julia Oh: Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat: Engineering Science and Mechanics Department, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat: 0Biomedical Engineering Department, Neurosurgery Department, Materials Research Institute, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
Duygu Ucar: Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Duygu Ucar: Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Ming Xu: UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Ming Xu: Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Xudong Yao: 1Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
Derya Unutmaz: Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
Derya Unutmaz: Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States
George A. Kuchel: UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fragi.2021.695218
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 2

Abstract

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Aging has emerged as the greatest and most prevalent risk factor for the development of severe COVID-19 infection and death following exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The presence of multiple coexisting chronic diseases and conditions of aging further enhances this risk. Biological aging not only enhances the risk of chronic diseases, but the presence of such conditions further accelerates varied biological processes or “hallmarks” implicated in aging. Given the growing evidence that it is possible to slow the rate of many biological aging processes using pharmacological compounds has led to the proposal that such geroscience-guided interventions may help enhance immune resilience and improve outcomes in the face of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our review of the literature indicates that most, if not all, hallmarks of aging may contribute to the enhanced COVID-19 vulnerability seen in frail older adults. Moreover, varied biological mechanisms implicated in aging do not function in isolation from each other and exhibit intricate effects on each other. With all of these considerations in mind, we highlight limitations of current strategies mostly focused on individual single mechanisms and propose an approach that is far more multidisciplinary and systems-based emphasizing network topology of biological aging and geroscience-guided approaches to COVID-19.

Published in Frontiers in Aging

ISSN: 2673-6217 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Special situations and conditions: Geriatrics
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging#

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Abstract

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