UTHealth Houston researchers launch $3.3M study on how eating patterns and circadian rhythms impact aging

UTHealth Houston researchers launch $3.3M study on how eating patterns and circadian rhythms impact aging

Written by: Laura Frnka-Davis | Updated: August 19, 2024

The study is led by Faraz Bishehsari, MD, PhD, (left) and Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, MD, PhD, (right). (Photo by Dwight Andrews/UTHealth Houston)

A groundbreaking research project to understand how diet and eating patterns can affect the body's internal clock and influence aging is underway at UTHealth Houston, thanks to a $3.3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging.

The study is led by Faraz Bishehsari, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair of Clinical and Translational Research in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, and Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, MD, PhD, professor of allergy and immunology, and the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School.

The research holds the promise of uncovering new strategies for disease prevention and healthy aging. By revealing how eating habits and circadian rhythms influence gut and pancreatic health as people age, the research could significantly enhance the quality of life as we age, according to the study team.

Many age-related diseases are linked to low-grade systemic inflammation, sometimes known as "inflammaging," a term used by some researchers to describe the chronic, low-level inflammation that occurs with aging and affects multiple organs. One of the main causes of this inflammation is the breakdown of the intestinal barrier, which is regulated by the interaction between the gut surface and its microbiome, a collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes that naturally live on and inside the human body.

"As we age, changes in the microbiome and intestinal barrier can lead to chronic inflammation and damage to the intestine and other organs, like the pancreas," said Bishehsari, who is establishing a multidisciplinary Gastroenterology Research Center in the Department of Internal Medicine, which he will direct. "Understanding how these changes occur and how to prevent them can help maintain gut health and prevent chronic diseases associated with the aging process."

Bishehsari and Mahdavinia will study animals and humans in their research. They will look at how different mealtimes affect inflammation and aging in the guts and pancreas of mice, seeking to identify specific patterns and changes in gut bacteria that link meal timing to the aging process. Doing so will help identify possible biological pathways that accelerate aging.

The team will also study how disruptions to circadian rhythms affect gut bacteria and pancreas functions in humans. By examining human gut bacteria and circadian patterns, Bishehsari and Mahdavinia hope to identify targets for future therapeutic interventions that promote healthy aging.

"With the population of older individuals growing faster than any other age group, prioritizing healthy living in later years is more crucial than ever," Mahdavinia said.

"Our research could uncover new targets for microbial or circadian interventions that could significantly influence the aging process," Bishehsari said.

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