Äldreforskning vid Linköpings universitet : en sammanställning av kunskapsläget

Vi blir allt äldre, och är friskare allt längre. De senaste 100 åren har genomsnittsåldern ökat dramatiskt. Det är en fantastisk framgång för välfärdssamhället. Men hur är våra attityder till äldre? Ser vi verkligen de äldre som en resurs i samhället, och inte som en belastning eller ett problem? Visst ställer den ökade andelen äldre samhället inför stora uppgifter. Det krävs god framförhållning i samhällsplanering och byggande. Större krav än tidigare kommer att ställas på egenmakt och kvalitet i äldreomsorgen. Det måste finnas en sammanhållen vård runt de som är i behov av många olika insatser från samhället. De äldres engagemang, kompetens och erfarenhet behövs. Frågan är vilka strategierkommunerna har för denna gigantiska utmaning. I denna rapport har fil. kand. Anna Elmqvist för CKS räkning inventerat den äldreforskning som bedrivs vid Linköpings universitet. Anna har  identifierat drygt 120 projekt, många av dem tvärvetenskapliga. Översikten visar på en stor bredd. Här finns projekt som handlar om allt ifrån ledarskap och organisation inom äldreomsorgen till äldres ekonomiska situation och äldre hbtq-personers livserfarenheter. Författaren till rapporten efterlyser mer forskning kring de som är 60+ och håller sig friska och aktiva långt upp i åldrarna. Ett område som hittills  varit sparsamt utforskat är äldre kopplat till migration och etnicitet. Ett annat rör äldre och teknik. Rapporten ger en god grund för att utveckla äldreområdet vidare i mötet mellan forskning och den kommunala verksamheten. CKS kommer under hösten 2011 att knyta till sig spetskompetens med uppgift att utveckla äldreområdet. En äldreforskningsdag med seminarier och diskussionsforum planeras också. Till sist: ett stort tack till alla ni på Linköpings universitet som bidragitmed underlag till rapporten. Och tack till Anna för ett mycket gott arbete. Rapporten går att beställa via CKS hemsida, www.liu.se/cks

JNK-dependent apoptosis is required for proper remodeling during degrowth.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Whole-mount TUNEL staining showing apoptotic cell death during degrowth in post-pharyngeal regions and graph showing quantification of cells dying by apoptosis (TUNEL-positive) in animals starved for 42 days. At least six biological replicates were used. (<b>B</b>) Graph showing quantification of mitotic (pH3+) cells in animals starved for 42 days. At least nine biological replicates were used. (<b>C</b>) Graph showing the size of the post-pharyngeal region (from pharynx anchoring to tail tip) relative to the whole-body length during degrowth. Values represent the means of 15 biological replicates. (<b>D</b>) Quantification of <i>NB.32.1g</i> and <i>Agat-1</i> expression in starved animals. The green histograms depict the quantification of cells positive for these two markers after FISH. At least four biological replicates were used. The orange histograms depict the relative expression of the two markers as determined by qRT-PCR. Values represent the means of three biological replicates. (<b>E</b>). FISH analysis of photoreceptor cells (<i>opsin</i>+), immunostaining of the visual system (VC1+) with DAPI counterstaining and graph showing the quantification of the number of photoreceptor cells/eye in animals starved for 42 days. Four biological replicates (8 eyes) were used. (<b>F</b>) FISH analysis of GABAergic (<i>gad</i>+) and octopaminergic (<i>tbh</i>+) neurons, WISH analysis of serotoninergic (<i>tph</i>+) neurons and graph showing the quantification of the number of neural cells/mm² in the brains of animals starved for 42 days. (<b>G</b>) Staining of the epithelia with DAPI and anti-β-catenin-2 antibody (Bcat2), and graph showing the quantification of the number of epithelial cells/mm² in post-pharyngeal regions of animals starved for 42 days. Eight biological replicates were used. (<b>H</b>) Quantification of the number of <i>cintillo</i>+ cells in the anterior region during the starvation process. At least five biological replicates were used. (Top left, anterior). All images, except for the <i>tph</i> image, correspond to confocal z-projections. Error bars represent standard error of the mean. Data were analyzed by Student's t-test. *P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001; differences are considered significant at P<0.05. Scale bars: 100 µm (A), 50 µm (E), 300 µm (F), 50 µm (G). d, days of starvation.</p

JNK modulates early wound-induced gene expression.

<p>FISH analysis of <i>egrl1</i> and <i>runt1</i> expression in trunk fragments in response to wounding (after anterior amputation) and quantification of <i>egrl1</i> and <i>runt1</i> expression. At least five biological replicates were used. (Top, anterior). Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. Scale bars: 200 µm. hR, hours of regeneration.</p

Schematic showing role of JNK in planarian regeneration and homeostatic degrowth.

<p>In the wound region, JNK triggers early-gene expression and apoptosis, and mediates temporal control of the cell cycle progression of neoblasts, which ensures the balanced differentiation of different cell types and hence proper regeneration of missing tissues. In pre-existing regions, JNK triggers apoptosis and maintains basal levels of proliferation to ensure that body proportion is properly restored after amputation. RNA interference of JNK activity prevents all these processes in both the wound region and in pre-existing regions, as well as regeneration and rescaling.</p

Remodeling during growth does not depend on JNK-dependent apoptotic cell death.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Whole-mount TUNEL staining showing apoptotic cell death during growth in post-pharyngeal regions and graph showing the quantification of cells dying by apoptosis (TUNEL+) in animals fed for 7 days. At least five biological replicates were used. (<b>B</b>) Graph showing quantification of mitotic cells (pH3+) in animals fed for 7 days. At least 10 biological replicates were used. (<b>C</b>) Graph showing the size of the post-pharyngeal area (from the pharynx anchoring to tail tip) relative to whole-body length during growth. Values represent the means of 15 biological replicates. (<b>D</b>) Quantification of <i>NB.32.1g</i> and <i>Agat-1</i> expression. Green histograms depict the quantification of cells positive for these two markers after FISH. At least four biological replicates were used. Orange histograms depict the relative expression levels of the two markers as determined by qRT-PCR. Values represent means of three biological replicates. (<b>E</b>) Quantification of the number of photoreceptor cells (<i>opsin</i>+)/eye of animals fed for 21 days. Three biological replicates (6 eyes) were used. (<b>F</b>) Quantification of the number of neural cells/mm² in the brains of animals fed for 21 days. At least four biological replicates were used (<b>G</b>) Quantification of the number of epithelial cells/mm² in post-pharyngeal regions of animals fed for 21 days. Six biological replicates were used. (Top left, anterior). All images correspond to confocal z-projections. Error bars represent standard error of the mean. Data were analyzed by Student's t-test. Differences are considered significant at P<0.05. Scale bar: 100 µm. d, days of feeding.</p

JNK attenuates the cell cycle progression of planarian neoblasts.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Double FISH analysis showing <i>JNK</i> and <i>h2b</i> expression in anterior region of intact animals. White arrowheads point to the sole expression of <i>JNK</i> in the brain. White boxes point to the region corresponding to the magnifications showed bellow where <i>JNK</i> are <i>h2b</i> are coexpressed in neoblast cells between the gut branches. (<b>B</b>) Graph depicting the quantity of mitotic cells (pH3+) in the wound region during anterior regeneration. At least nine biological replicates were used per time point. (<b>C</b>) Triple labeling of CldU+, <i>piwi1</i>+ and pH3+ cells in the wound region 6 hours after anterior amputation. To note all the pH3+(white) cells were also CldU+(red). Quantifications of the number of these single CldU+, double CldU+/<i>piwi1</i>+ and triple CldU+/<i>piwi1</i>+/pH3+ cells are shown. At least nine biological replicates were used. All images correspond to confocal z-projections. (Top left, anterior). Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. Data were analyzed by Student's t-test. *P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001; differences are considered significant at P<0.05. Scale bars: 100 µm (B), 50 µm (C). hR, hours of regeneration; dR, days of regeneration.</p

JNK is required for anterior and posterior regeneration.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Immunostaining with anti-synapsin (Syn) and anti-β-catenin-2 (Bcat2), which allow the visualization of the central nervous and digestive systems, respectively, in regenerating trunk and head fragments 15 days after anterior amputation. (Top left, anterior). (<b>B</b>) Expression analysis by WISH of the brain branches (<i>gpas</i>+), the anterior chemoreceptors (<i>cintillo</i>+) and FISH analysis of the expression of eye/eye progenitor cells (<i>ovo</i>+). The visual system was visualized by immunostaining with anti-VC1(VC-1). (Top, anterior). The number of representative samples with respect to the total is indicated in each image Syn, BCat2 and VC1 images correspond to confocal z-projections. Scale bars: 300 µm (A), 200 µm (B). dR, days of regeneration.</p

JNK is specifically required for <i>de novo</i> tissue regeneration.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Graph showing proliferation dynamics after a lateral incision without loss of tissue. At least four biological replicates (2 incisions per organism) were used per time point. (<b>B</b>) Whole-mount TUNEL staining showing apoptotic cell death responses and graph depicting the quantification of TUNEL-positive cells after a simple incision. At least six biological replicates (2 incisions per organism) were used per time point. (<b>C</b>) Graph showing proliferation dynamics after a small lateral amputation with loss of tissue. At least four biological replicates were used per time point for quantification. (<b>D</b>) Whole-mount TUNEL staining showing apoptotic cell death responses and graph depicting the quantification of TUNEL-positive cells after a small lateral amputation. At least five biological replicates were used per time point. (Top left, anterior). TUNEL images correspond to confocal z-projections. The area analyzed for quantification of TUNEL+ cells density was more restricted to the wound region for incisions than for notchings. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. Data were analyzed using a Student's t-test. **P<0.01; differences are considered significant at P<0.05. Scale bars: 200 µm. hR, hours of regeneration; dR, days of regeneration.</p