Dr. Jennifer Stern from the Medicine department has been awarded an NIH grant by the DPT of Health & Human Services to investigate the role of hepatic glucagon receptor signaling in healthspan and aging.

Key aspects of the project:
- Glucagon receptor deletion shortens lifespan in obese mice and extends lifespan in calorie-restricted mice.
- Glucagon activates AMPK and increases cAMP, both of which extend healthspan.
- The study will use genetic and pharmacological manipulation to increase glucagon receptor signaling.
- The research aims to identify a new therapeutic target to extend healthspan and potentially lifespan, using safe glucagon receptor agonists.

Dr. Jennifer Stern, a leading researcher in aging, metabolism, and diabetes in the Department of Medicine, has been awarded an NIH grant for the project 'Serum Markers of Glucagon Sensitivity in Calorie Restricted Humans'. The study focuses on the role of glucagon, the counter-regulatory hormone to insulin, in calorie restriction-induced improvements in aging.

Key aspects of the grant:

- The Stern lab has shown that glucagon signaling is essential for calorie restriction to extend both healthspan and lifespan in mice. This project will translate these findings to calorie restricted humans.
- Glucagon may affect aging by influencing key molecules such as AMPK, cAMP, FGF21, mTOR, and IGF-1.
- The study will study the effects of a 2-year calorie restriction intervention in CALERIE trial participants to measure fasted serum glucagon, GLP-1, and FGF21 concentrations and assess their relationships with markers of aging and markers of lipid and glucose homeostasis.
- Hypotheses include decreased serum glucagon, increased FGF21, and improved lipid homeostasis, insulin sensitivity in calorie-restricted individuals.