Do we self-destruct?
Is a "self-destruct mechanism" inherent in aging?
Arun K. Roy, PhD, professor of cellular & structural biology at the Health Science Center, may find the answer--he recently received a second, prestigious MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for such a study.
MERIT stands for "Method to Extend Research in Time" and means the NIH trusts a researcher's track record enough to commit funds for several years without the exhaustive competitive review and renewal process usually required.
His new MERIT from the National Institute on Aging supports a project that explores a "self-destruct mechanism" inherent in aging. "Aging is not due to daily wear and tear," Dr. Roy said. "For those damages the human body has very effective and efficient repair mechanisms. However, it is nature's design to replace the older with the younger so that new generations can make effective use of the available resources. A self-destruct mechanism appears to be built in at the molecular level."
Dr. Roy, a pioneering basic scientist in aging research, already was one of the few scientists to receive a MERIT for his ongoing study of prostate cancer. The first MERIT, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, allowed Dr. Roy's group to make a number of new discoveries that have been confirmed and extended by others. These include identification of the receptor for the male sex hormone androgen in the liver and evidence to show that aging involves differential expressions of specific genes.
Seven other Health Science Center faculty members have previously earned MERIT designations.
