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ARS Home Northeast Area Boston, Massachusetts Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging Research





- Onwulata, Charles
- Human Nutrition (107)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging** Project Number: 8050-10700-002-000-D
                        
                        Project Type: In-House Appropriated Start Date: Mar 12, 2024
                        
                        End Date: Mar 11, 2029 **Objective:**
                        
                        Objective 1:  Define the impact of dietary patterns, specific foods and food components, and physical activity on healthy aging and mitigation of age-related chronic diseases.

Subobjective 1.A: Relate bone microarchitecture, chronic disease, and change in bone mineral density in older adults.
Subobjective 1.B: Determine the impact of protein and alkali supplementation on skeletal muscle performance and physical function.
Subobjective 1.C: Assess the effect of vitamin K supplementation on lower-extremity function in adults with osteoarthritis.

Objective 2: Elucidate the mechanisms of action and identify the physiologic processes by which dietary patterns, specific foods and food components, and physical activity promote healthy aging and mitigate age-related chronic diseases.

Subobjective 2.A: Determine the impact of dietary patterns, foods and food components on the gut microbiome, metabolome, transcriptome and biological pathways associated with chronic disease factors. 
Subobjective 2.B. Determine the in vitro effect of chitin (primary component of the cricket exoskeleton) metabolites on the cancer-permissive milieu produced by obesity in mouse and human colonic organoids.
Subobjective 2.C. Investigate the effect of zinc supplementation on immune responsiveness in older adults.
Subobjective 2.D: Investigate the physiological and behavioral systems that contribute to variability in weight change following weight loss in adults with obesity.

Objective 3:  Identify, develop and evaluate assessment tools, biomarkers and surrogate markers of diet quality and physical activity that reflect healthy aging. 
Subobjective 3.A: Assess the feasibility of using wearable inertial sensors to assess gait parameters in nutrition interventions.
Subobjective 3.B: Develop a dietary self-monitoring app and evaluate its effect on participant engagement and weight loss. **Approach:**
                        
                        The prevalence of age-related chronic diseases, such as musculoskeletal, cardiometabolic, and cancer increases with advancing years and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk, loss of independence, diminished quality of life and elevated health care costs. Our approach to improve this situation is to address issues that will delay the onset and decrease the progression of age-related chronic diseases, with the aim of increasing healthspan (period in the lifecycle of good health) among diverse populations. By integrating clinical, basic, and pragmatic research, the proposed projects will contribute to the evidence base on which strategies to prevent and treat age-related chronic diseases are based. 

We will achieve our aim by addressing three main areas. (1) Define the impact of type 2 diabetes and vitamin B6 status on bone mass and architectural integrity; determine the effect of alkaline salt supplementation on reducing the negative impact of dietary protein acid load on muscle mass; and assess the effects of vitamin K supplementation on lower-extremity function. (2) Determine the interplay between dietary fat and gut microbiota composition, diversity, and derived metabolites on cardiometabolic risk factors and biomarkers thereof; determine the in vitro effect of chitin (primary component of the cricket exoskeleton) metabolites on the cancer-permissive milieu produced by obesity; evaluate the impact of zinc supplementation on immune-responsiveness; and identify determinants of behavioral systems that contribute to variability in weight change following weight loss. (3) Assess the feasibility of using wearable inertial sensors to monitor gait parameters; and evaluate diet self-monitoring apps to evaluate participant engagement and weight loss effectiveness.

The research in this plan integrates with the larger mission of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, and many projects involve internal cross-team collaborations that contribute invaluable multi-disciplinary expertise to the complexities of aging and nutrition research.


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