The research of my group has focussed on understanding the molecular causes of disease, particularly the molecular causes of cancer. It is important to indicate that there has been a paradigm shift. Before, it was considered that by investigating every disease independently it would be possible to develop specific and effective treatments for each disease. However, even though each day we have new treatments, for instance new treatments to treat cancer, the burden of disease is increasing because the population is aging. It seems necessary to understand how disease occurs in order to prevent it from happening or to decrease its incidence significantly in the population.
 
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF DISEASE?

The perception right now is that aging of our cells is what causes disease. When our organism and cells are young and fit, there is almost no disease. As our cells divide and we age, there are molecular events that cause aging. The rate at which each individual ages is the combination of genetic determinants and life habits. Molecular and cellular aging cause all kinds of disease, therefore if we want to decrease the burden of disease or increase what is known as the “Health Span” (or time of life free of disease), we have to fight aging. The expectation is that if we delay or eliminate the causes of aging, we will be able to delay or decrease disease.

In the last 20 years scientists have discovered many of the molecular processes that lead to aging. One of the better studied molecular pathways of aging is related to the shortening of telomeres, which are the protective structures at the end of our chromosomes, which are lost as we live. The rate at which our telomeres erode depends on genetic and environmental factors. My Group has been a pioneer in showing that by delaying this molecular process we delay aging and disease.

Ponente: María Blasco, Directora del Centro Nacional de de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO)
www.cnio.es/personas/maria-a-blasco/

Moderador: Robert John Wilson, Biogeografía y Cambio Global MNCN-CSIC.

Retransmisión: Jose María Cazcarra, Vicedirección de Comunicación y Cultura Científica MNCN-CSIC y Noelia Cejuela, Servicio de Audiovisuales-Mediateca MNCN-CSIC.

Realización y edición: Servicio de Audiovisuales-Mediateca MNCN-CSIC.

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