Small biobank and deepening collaboration – new knowledge to support ageing on the way
Ageing has changed compared to what it used to be. Living conditions have improved, and life expectancy has increased. The functional capacity of older people has also improved, and many now enjoy good health and an active lifestyle longer than previous generations.
“Inequality still exists in the functional capacity of older people, which shows that there is still room for improvement,” says Professor Taina Rantanen from the University of Jyväskylä.
Various factors can diminish functional capacity. These include, for example, differences in lifestyles, access to services, and how healthy or accessible the living environment is.
Rantanen highlights that the questions concerning health changes and functional capacity in old age are complex, and few organisations globally can manage ageing research across disciplines.
The challenge is now being addressed by the University of Jyväskylä’s new profiling area ENVIS-AGE, which brings together a wide range of researchers focusing on ageing-related functional capacity and health, environmental impacts, and biological mechanisms.
Researcher collaboration aims to generate new knowledge about both the biological mechanisms that promote health and the effects of various environmental factors on the functional capacity of the ageing population. Another important goal is to contribute to research evidence on the impact of physical activity and long-term rehabilitation on functional capacity and recovery from illness.
The research community is led by Taina Rantanen and deputy director is Professor Lotta-Riina Sundberg. It will be funded by the Research Council of Finland until 2030.
Currently, the profiling area includes sixty researchers from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Mathematics and Science, and the Nanoscience Center (NSC) of the University of Jyväskylä.
Shared laboratory facilities strengthen collaboration
For researchers, ageing is a highly interesting field of study because it clearly reflects the effects of earlier life.
“Age is not just a number,” explains Tanja Rantanen.
“It’s a significant factor that increases the risk of illness and adverse effects, for example, when taking multiple medications.”
As a result of the new profiling area, researchers in sport and health sciences, as well as in biological and environmental sciences, will intensify their collaboration at the University of Jyväskylä. This will strengthen research into cellular changes related to ageing. Daily cooperation will deepen even further when the laboratories of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences relocate to Ylistönrinne in the coming years and join those of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science.
“In the profiling area, we gain new strength from research data by being able to combine different studies,” says Lotta-Riina Sundberg, Professor and Scientific Director of the Nanoscience Center. “We can also examine processes more closely at the cellular level, such as studying the human microbiome and cell interactions.
An interesting addition to microbiome research is the ability to investigate the effects of viruses as well.”
Sundberg says that the molecular effects of physical activity still require extensive research, as there are still many unanswered questions.
We’re interested in whether new methods can be found to influence the target molecules,” says Sundberg.
Sundberg explains that new knowledge is being sought regarding the functional capacity and health of old people, including the prevention of antibiotic resistance. It’s a growing global problem and a serious threat to the health of the ageing population. A long-term goal is also to gain a better understanding of the health impacts of environmental factors.
“Our ambitious goal is to develop research and sampling methods so that in the future, we can study the impact of environmental factors that we’re not yet able to identify.”
Central Finland Biobank brings researchers together
The profiling area sets ambitious research objectives, supported by a highly regarded biobank. Both leaders of the profiling area are grateful for the opportunities made possible by the Central Finland Biobank . Its data meets the specific needs of the research fields involved.
“This is a small, but unique biobank, which also includes data on individuals’ health behaviour,” says Taina Rantanen. “In the future, the donors can be invited to provide additional information related to functional capacity.”
The Biobank was established in 2015 and is a joint initiative of the wellbeing services county of Central Finland and the University of Jyväskylä. Its research director is Tiina Jokela.
From research to real-world solutions
In the future, research knowledge generated within the new profiling area can help develop solutions that support optimal recovery from illnesses.
Taina Rantanen emphasizes that the importance of rehabilitation, for example, should be studied in depth.
There is evidence that long-term rehabilitation can improve a person’s condition compared to their state before the illness or injury. Through research, we aim to identify the most effective ways to achieve this.”
Bringing research findings into practice is a long process. Lotta-Riina Sundberg emphasizes that the success of new methods is supported by, for example, startup companies that have emerged from the research community. The companies offer strong expertise in biology, especially in diagnostic methods and infection prevention.
There are three main research priorities within the profiling area ENVIS-AGE |
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| 1. | Promoting functional capacity through physical activity in old age: The goal is to renew and advance research on functional capacity, physical activity, and rehabilitation among old people. |
| 2 | Environment and ageing: Research explores how the social, built, natural, as well as microbiological environments influence functional capacity. |
| 3 | Biological impacts on health, functional capacity and ageing: This area brings together research in microbiology, virology, cardiovascular diseases, metabolism, and biological ageing. |
