The OAIC Inflammatory Biology Core (IBC) provides a mechanism by which OAIC research programs at UCLA and other institutions can incorporate comprehensive protein and molecular analyses of inflammatory biology into studies that a) identify biologic and/or behavioral factors that contribute to disease and disability in vulnerable adults, b) develop effective preventive or therapeutic interventions that target inflammation or biobehavioral risk profiles associated with inflammation, and c) bring new knowledge about inflammatory biology biomarkers and mechanisms underlying successful clinical intervention into clinical practice and decision-making. The IBC focuses on stimulating links between basic and clinical research, and provides opportunities for OAIC research projects to examine the underlying molecular genetics of inflammation and the effects of inflammation on other cellular processes, with a strategic focus on the translation of such knowledge into the identification and reduction of risk for chronic disease and disability in older adults. The IBC aims to expand and support (both intellectual support and assay services) the analysis of inflammatory biology in existing UCLA OAIC research programs and in new OAIC pilot projects and developing research programs. The IBC will also develop new analytic approaches to facilitate in vivo analysis of inflammatory dynamics and their functional genomic impact on elderly individuals. Finally, the IBC will provide training in behavioral, immunologic, and molecular aspects of inflammatory biology in general, and as they pertain to the unique issues in aging. This training will emphasize biological knowledge about the sources and targets of inflammatory signals (including genetic and epigenetic influences and gene expression consequences), with a particular focus on behavioral and functional impacts. In summary, the Inflammatory Biology Core forms an integral part of the UCLA OAIC, providing expert consultation on the assessment of inflammatory biology, oversight of inflammatory biomarker collection and assay, and interpretation of data for OAIC pilot projects and CDA awardees as well as support for numerous externally-funded projects. Given the prominent role of inflammation in the diseases that impact older adults, and the altered inflammatory dynamics that accompany aging, comprehensive assessment of inflammatory biology is critical to OAlC's central goal to develop interventions that prevent disease and disability in older Americans, and to translate such knowledge into more effective clinical practice.
, Knowledge of how to prevent chronic diseases in older adults or to lessen their potentially-disabling effects comes from understanding their causes. Inflammatory dynamics are prominently altered in aging, and inflammation is increasingly implicated as having a critical role in the onset and progression of diseases of older adults.
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