Tom Kirkwood: Aging is neither inevitable nor necessary
Leading aging researcher on disposable soma, mechanisms of aging and why managing expectations is key.
Professor Thomas Kirkwood of Newcastle University is a name synonymous with the aging field. Back in the 1970s, the mathematical biologist advanced the “disposable soma” theory of aging, which proposed that aging is a result of an evolutionary trade-off between growth, reproduction, and DNA repair maintenance. His work in this area over the years has led to a strong focus on understanding the mechanisms of aging – and how to intervene in them.
My take on this: Professor Kirkwood’s theory is based on the idea that, if our biology focuses more on growth and reproduction, there is a proportionate reduction in DNA repair maintenance. This trade-off leads to increased cellular damage, shortened telomeres, accumulation of mutations, compromised stem cells, and ultimately, senescence. We caught up with Kirkwood to discuss his views on the aging field, and whether his theory has stood the test of time.
As a mathematician who made the switch to biology, Kirkwood describes his background as “unusual”, although it was his unique skillset that would ultimately bring him to the?disposable soma theory?in the mid-1970s.
“I had a chance encounter with a leading geneticist who had a problem concerning cellular aging and replicative senescence, and he wanted to get someone who knew how to frame things in mathematical terms,” recalls Kirkwood. “So, we started working together trying to understand why normal cultures of cells have only a finite replicative lifespan.”
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