The Biology of Mobility and Aging Core (BMAC) is a new Core within the Pepper Center. It has been established to facilitate the translational gap from basic research at the bench to the clinic, by providing Pepper Center investigators unprecedented access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, resources, and intellectual and technical expertise in aging biology and translational science. The BMAC will foster collaborations of clinicians and basic scientists in order to better enable in-depth interrogation of pathways linking aging “hallmarks” with age-related phenotypes and healthspan indicators. This will ultimately enable clinical trials of novel interventions to preserve mobility and balance in aging populations.
The goal of this new core is to promote both basic-to-human and human-to-basic translation. The BMAC builds on the momentum of the Aging Institute, created several years ago with support from Pitt/UPMC. The BMAC will provide an engine of discovery and innovation to guide and enhance our clinical and translational efforts. Specific emphasis includes using basic science approaches to uncover novel biomarkers that might aid in the treatment of age-related alterations in mobility and balance. Moreover, the BMAC will assist in the development and characterization of innovative pre-clinical animal models that can be used to mechanistically explore the fundamental basis of age-related changes in mobility, gait and balance. Other aspects in which the BMAC will function will be to provide guidance on the use and interpretation of various ‘omic’ technologies. For instance, the BMAC will aid Pepper investigators in the appropriate use of various molecular tools such as single cell RNAseq and metabolomics, which might provide valuable mechanistic insight to complement various ongoing clinical and translational endeavors.
The BMAC will also help Pepper investigators who might wish to pursue any of a number of high throughput screening approaches including whole genome CRISPR-based screens or screens of diverse chemical libraries. Such screens are envisioned to be essential to uncover new molecular targets or novel therapies that might, for instance, improve age-related muscle function. Finally, the BMAC will catalyze our Team Science efforts, as a way of accelerating the adoption of a ‘common language’ between basic, translational and clinical scientists.
Mary Ganguli, professor of psychiatry, epidemiology and neurology in Pitt’s Department of Psychiatry, was recently given the 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award by the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.