An Opus for the Ages
In his latest book, The Biology of Human Longevity: Inflammation, Nutrition and Aging in the Evolution of Lifespans (Academic Press, 2007), Finch synthesizes 10 years of research on the biology of aging.
The 640-page opus is the follow-up to Longevity, Senescence and the Genome, published in 1990, widely considered a landmark contribution to biomedicine and aging.
The Biology of Human Longevity incorporates findings from several disciplines, including gerontology, genomics, neuroscience, immunology and nutrition. Finch, the ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging, asserts that as humankind shifted from herbivore to a meat-rich diet, the gradual transition extended longevity by reducing levels of inflammation.
“Inflammation is a core feature in normal aging and in diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, even cancer,” Finch said. “In the evolutionary past, the genes of inflammation also played a role in the evolution of humans as they developed longer life spans than their great ape ancestors.”
Inflammation, according to Finch, comes from two sources: chronic acute infections and the environment. Advances in hygiene, reductions in infectious diseases and medical treatments have greatly reduced chronic acute infections such as measles and gastrointestinal conditions.
In the last 200 years, one year of extra lifespan has been added for about every four years of historical time. Even more remarkable, life expectancy has doubled from roughly 40 to nearly 80 years since the industrial revolution.
However, environmental inflammation, caused by what people eat and breathe, could threaten this trend. Overpopulation, the spread of diseases through global travel, higher levels of dust from deforestation and what Finch calls the “obesity epidemic,” are all contributors to environmental inflammation.
“No state had more than 15 percent obesity 20 years ago,” Finch said. “Now every state has an obesity level of at least 15 percent.”
Being overweight, according to Finch, is a pro-inflammatory state in which fat tissues secrete inflammatory molecules called cytokines that contribute to chronic inflammation and conditions like heart disease and diabetes. With poor dietary habits and pollution on the rise, Finch predicts that increased levels of environmental inflammation could lead to shorter lives.
Other topics explored in the book are the effects of inflammation in the fetus on disease later in life and the role of inflammation in compounding free radical damage in cells, linked to a range of disorders that include cancer, arthritis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Finally, a relationship between inflammation and diet might be a key to unlocking the full potential of human longevity, which Finch believes could increase considerably for those with the right resources such as funding and access to top-level medical resources.
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The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
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