Aging

Research on aging at ITB addresses the biological complexity of aging through an integrated, multidisciplinary approach that includes nutrition, molecular biology, neuroscience, and systems’ medicine investigations. Active and past projects focus on the interaction between diet, metabolism, and brain health, with particular attention to Mediterranean diet–based interventions, gut–brain axis modulation, and personalized nutrition strategies to prevent malnutrition and cognitive decline. Key mechanisms underlying healthy and pathological aging, including proteostasis, mitochondrial function, chromatin organization, and epigenetic regulation, as well as their roles in frailty, sarcopenia, and neurodegeneration are investigated. Disease-oriented studies explore aging-related conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer diseases, Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria syndrome, and muscle dystrophies, combining advanced omics approaches (transcriptomics, metabolomics, SIMS imaging) with pharmacological and nutritional interventions. Overall, ITB aging research aims to identify molecular targets and lifestyle-based strategies to promote healthy aging and resilience across the lifespan.