Research at Bond

Current Research Projects

Living Longer May Soon be a Reality

Discovering the secret of the fountain of youth may not be as far away as we think.

Bond’s Professor of Anatomy and Histology, Professor Kuldip Bedi is currently researching why diet restriction leads to a longer life span and whether drugs can be developed that mimic the cellular effects of dieting.

“Restricting the diet of animals for a lengthy period during certain stages of their life is the only known way of increasing their life span,” said Professor Bedi.

“In mice and rats, we have established that reducing their food intake by around 40% when they are between 30 and 90 days old will extend their life span by up to 50%.

“Most importantly, these lab animals are also a lot healthier for longer periods and the incidence of illness is delayed, in comparison to their counterparts who are kept on a normal diet.”

Professor Bedi’s research is focussed on why this occurs, looking specifically at how the diet may modulate the production of harmful reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant enzymes that the body produces to counteract these. These factors are thought to contribute to longevity.

“We’ve found that, our body has defensive mechanisms that controls the levels of these reactive oxygen species and that diet restriction at this stage can cause long term beneficial effects on these defensive mechanisms, therefore increasing life span,” he said.

“By learning more about the whys and wherefores of this process, our goal is to see if we can mimic the body’s natural mechanisms in therapeutic agents.”

Modulating the ageing process is not just about living longer. Professor Bedi believes that his research will contribute significantly to our understanding of the mental decline and other degenerative brain changes that often accompany old age.

“The study will also add to our knowledge of the reverse process – namely, overeating and how obesity contributes to a decreased life span.”

Building on his extensive research in the effects of environmental influences on brain development, Professor Bedi is also currently investigating how early exposure to drugs of abuse such as alcohol and cocaine impacts on the brain regions closely involved in memory storage and retrieval.

Key Project Team Members

  • Professor Kuldip Bedi - Bond University

Contact:

Professor Kuldip Bedi

Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine
BOND UNIVERSITY QLD 4229
AUSTRALIA

Phone: +61 7 5595 4434
Email: kbedi@staff.bond.edu.au