Aging research aims to develop therapeutics to decelerate aging and reduce incidence of age-related diseases often with Caenorhabditis elegans as the model. Reducing the levels of translation-initiation factors leads to the increased C. elegans lifespan. For example, quercetin inhibits these factors in mouse and human leukemia cells so we can expect that other flavonoids might have similar effect. One of the factors linked to the shortened lifespan and susceptibility to age related disease is impaired translation fidelity induced by oxidative stress; though applying flavonoids as antioxidant molecules could lead to its reduction. Moreover, senescent cells accumulate in a wide range of tissues with increasing age and drive aging-related pathologies. Since quercetin was already demonstrated to have senolytic activity, other flavonoids might similarly be able to selectively eliminate senescent cells and reduce unwanted physiological manifestations of aging. Elderly population is more susceptible to microbial infections and is more often facing their worse outcomes. Microorganisms have become the global threat due to antibiotic resistance with patients’ age being an important risk factor for carriage of resistant microorganisms. Оne of the microbial abilities that enhances its antibiotic and immune cell resistance is the biofilm formation. The current panel of antimicrobial drugs is mainly inefficient in eliminating biofilms. Since biofilms contribute to the chronic nature of the infection and increase its mortality rates it is of high importance to develop novel antibiofilm agents. Despite abundant research in this field, we are still searching for adequate antimicrobial therapies with flavonoids representing appealing potential antimicrobials.

https://mpn.gov.rs/vesti/odobreno-27-naucno-istrazivackih-projekta-srbije-i-austrije/

Project No.: 337-00-577/2021-09/44

Partner in Austria: Universität für Bodenkultur Wien

Coordinator for Austria: Dr. Markus Schosserer

Coordinator for Serbia: Dr. Marija Ivanov

Collaborators:

Dr. Dejan Stojković

Dr. Marina Kostić

Tamara Carević