Research efforts to help the world’s ageing population live longer healthier lives have been given a major boost with the announcement of six new transatlantic research projects aiming to understanding the biology of the ageing process.

In the first agreement of its kind, the US funding agency for ageing research, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the UK’s funding body for bioscience research, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) are jointly funding £4M of projects. Each project includes leading researchers from universities from both the UK and US.

EuroStemCell scientist Dr Clare Blackburn, of the University of Edinburgh’s MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, will lead one of the projects together with Professor Nancy Manley of the University of Georgia.

Their £0.6M project will look into the effects of fluctuating hormone levels on older people’s immune systems. One of the crucial contributing factors in reduced immunity in older people is degeneration of an organ – the thymus – where important elements of the immune system develop and are maintained. It is thought that hormone levels in the body can have an impact on degeneration and regeneration of the thymus, but we do not know how. The project seeks to identify the mechanism by which hormones can affect the thymus.

Other projects will investigate what genetic and molecular effects in the body determine age span and how environmental factors impact on the genetics of ageing.

Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive said: "To appreciate what older people need in order to remain healthy and active we must understand as much as we can about what is going on in an ageing body. With this knowledge, our clinical colleagues can develop healthcare and disease prevention strategies that will see older people on both sides of the Atlantic, and beyond, living fulfilled and happy lives. By working together, BBSRC and NIA have been able to capitalise on the world class research in both countries and leverage the funding available to our scientists."

Further details of all projects can be found on the BBSRC website.