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4 HEALTH AND LABORATORY MAGAZINE

SURPRISING LINK

BETWEEN DIET, EYE

HEALTH AND LIFESPAN

DISCOVERED

In an experiment on flies, scientists

discovered that the aging process is
driven by processes in the eye.

Scientists have demon- Buck Institute Professor within every cell of every extending lifespan. When were compared with those
strated for the first time a Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, whose organism, which have Hodge joined the lab later fed just 10 percent of the
link between diet, circadian lab has demonstrated evolved to adapt to daily that year, he wanted to dig protein of the unrestricted
rhythms, eye health, and for years that fasting and stresses, such as changes deeper to figure out which diet.
lifespan in Drosophila. caloric restriction can in light and temperature processes that enhance
Publishing in the June 7, improve many functions caused by the rising and circadian functions were Immediately, Hodge no-
2022 issue of the journal of the body. “We are now setting of the sun. These altered by the diet change, ticed numerous genes that
Nature Communications, showing that not only does 24-hour oscillations — and whether circadian were both diet-responsive
the researchers from the fasting improve eyesight, circadian rhythms — affect processes were required and also exhibiting ups and
Buck Institute additionally but the eye actually plays a complex animal behaviors, for the longer lifespan seen downs at different time
and unexpectedly found role in influencing lifespan.” such as predator-prey in- with dietary restriction. points, or “rhythmic.” He
that processes in the fly teractions and sleep/wake then discovered that the
eye are actually driving the “The finding that the eye cycles, down to fine-tuning “The fruit fly has such a rhythmic genes that were
aging process. itself, at least in the fruit the temporal regulation short lifespan, making it activated the most with di-
fly, can directly regulate of molecular functions of a really beautiful model etary restriction all seemed
Previous studies have lifespan was a surprise to gene transcription and that allows us to screen a to be coming from the eye,
shown in humans that us,” said lead author, Brian protein translation. lot of things at once,” said specifically from photo-
there is an association Hodge, PhD, who did his Hodge, who is currently receptors, the specialized
between eye disorders and postdoctoral studies in In 2016 Kapahi’s lab a scientist at Fountain neurons in the retina of the
poor health. “Our study Kapahi’s lab. published a study in Cell Therapeutics in South San eye that respond to light.
argues that it is more than Metabolism showing that Francisco. The study began
correlation: dysfunction of The explanation for this fruit flies on a restrict- with a broad survey to see This finding led to a series
the eye can actually drive connection, Hodge said, ed diet had significant what genes oscillate in a of experiments designed to
problems in other tissues,” lies in circadian “clocks,” changes in their circadian circadian fashion when understand how eye func-
said senior author and the molecular machinery rhythms in addition to flies on an unrestricted diet tion fit into the story of how