Bengaluru: Project to crack the ageing code gets ICMR backing; explores India-specific issues

Bengaluru: Director of IISc Govindan Rangarajan announced that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has offered its support to the Longevity India Initiative at IISc to establish a Centre for Advanced Research in Ageing.

He said this during the inauguration of the three-day ‘Longevity India Conference 2025’. 

The Centre for Advanced Research in Ageing will explore India-specific biomarkers, create organ-specific ageing models, and study the gut-brain connection in order to develop strategies for healthy ageing through biology, data science, and clinical research.

Scientists, researchers, and industry leaders gathered at the three-day conference at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to discuss ageing from the macro to the micro level.

With the key theme as ‘Biological Foundations and Mechanisms of Ageing’, the conference explored notable developments and trends through four major sessions covering ageing research, biological mechanisms, lifestyle medicine, and holistic health approaches.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLC Manjunath Bhandary, Government of Karnataka, and Govindan Rangarajan were among the key dignitaries who addressed the inaugural session on Monday. 

Gundu Rao, in his address said, “Longevity is not just about living longer, but living healthier, contributing, and staying active. With good habits and advancements in medical science, one can remain active and engage throughout their life.”

In his keynote address titled, ‘Molecules to Systems’, Convener of Longevity India Deepak Saini explained the ageing process at a micro level, pointing out that ageing occurs when there is damage to the DNA.

“A damaged cell doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t die or multiply and releases inflammatory chemicals, which results in systemic ageing,” Saini added.

Saini explained that when you’re young, the immune system can clear damaged cells, but as you grow old, there are too many damaged cells for the immune system to clear. 

Brian Kennedy, Director of Centre for Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore, in his keynote address explained that resilience is a big marker for ageing.

“In the context of health, resilience refers to the ability to adapt, recover, and maintain mental and physical strength in the face of adversity.”