The Midwest Aging Consortium (MAC) has emerged as a critical collaborative initiative aimed at advancing our understanding of aging and developing strategies to combat the rising prevalence of age-related diseases. Founded in 2019, MAC brings together researchers from various disciplines and institutions across the Midwestern United States to foster interdisciplinary geroscience research. This report summarizes the highlights of the Fourth Annual Symposium of MAC, which was held at Iowa State University in May 2023. The symposium featured presentations on a wide array of topics, including studies on slow-aging animals, cellular senescence and senotherapeutics, the role of the immune system in aging, metabolic changes in aging, neuronal health in aging, and biomarkers for measuring the aging process. Speakers shared findings from studies involving a variety of animals, ranging from commonly used species such as mice, rats, worms, yeast, and fruit flies, to less-common ones like naked mole-rats, painted turtles, and rotifers. MAC continues to emphasize the importance of supporting emerging researchers and fostering a collaborative environment, positioning itself as a leader in aging research. This symposium not only showcased the current state of aging biology research but also highlighted the consortium’s role in training the next generation of scientists dedicated to improving the healthspan and well-being of the aging population.

中文翻译：

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中西部老龄化联盟第四届年度研讨会


中西部老龄化联盟 （MAC） 已成为一项重要的合作倡议，旨在促进我们对老龄化的理解并制定策略来对抗不断上升的老龄化相关疾病的患病率。MAC 成立于 2019 年，汇集了来自美国中西部各个学科和机构的研究人员，以促进跨学科的老年科学研究。本报告总结了 2023 年 5 月在爱荷华州立大学举行的第四届 MAC 年度研讨会的亮点。研讨会就广泛的主题进行了演讲，包括对缓慢衰老动物的研究、细胞衰老和新疗法、免疫系统在衰老中的作用、衰老中的代谢变化、衰老中的神经元健康以及测量衰老过程的生物标志物。演讲者分享了涉及各种动物的研究结果，从老鼠、大鼠、蠕虫、酵母和果蝇等常用物种，到裸鼹鼠、彩龟和轮虫等不太常见的物种。MAC 继续强调支持新兴研究人员和营造协作环境的重要性，将自己定位为老龄化研究的领导者。本次研讨会不仅展示了老龄化生物学研究的现状，还强调了该联盟在培训致力于改善老龄化人口的健康寿命和福祉的下一代科学家方面的作用。