Spectroscopic approaches for the identification of biomolecular signatures of ageing and age-related processes

With the progressive increase in life expectancy, age-related pathologies, which are closely linked to age-associated processes such as immunosenescence [1], are becoming a major public health challenge [2], highlighting the need for reliable diagnostic and prognostic tools for the early identification and monitoring of ageing-associated functional and cognitive decline. The first work package of the project focuses on the NMR-based metabolomic profiling of plasma samples collected within the multicentric IN-TeMPO trial [3]. Metabolic profiles have been integrated with clinical, functional and demographic data through multivariate statistical analyses to identify biomarkers associated with ageing and the effect of multicomponent interventions. The second work package investigates natural extracts as sources of anti-amyloidogenic compounds [4-6]. Myrtle leaves extracts have been characterized by NMR and LC-HRMS to identify compounds with potential neuroprotective activity.