The regulatory effect of bone marrow adiposity on the hallmarks of aging

Dr. Gustavo Duque, MD, Ph.D., FRACP, FGSA, Dr. Joseph Kaufmann Chair in Geriatric Medicine, Director – RUISSS McGill Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health of Seniors/ Simone & Edouard Shouela (CEDurable), and Principal Investigator at the Bone, Muscle & Geroscience Group of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). 

Abstract

This seminar explores the emerging field of bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) and its multifaceted influence on the hallmarks of aging. Recent studies reveal the dynamic role of BMAT as an endocrine organ, influencing systemic metabolism, bone health, and age-related diseases. The presentation will begin with an overview of the hallmarks of aging, including cellular senescence, genomic instability, loss of proteostasis, and altered intercellular communication. By linking marrow fat dynamics to aging pathways, the seminar underscores the importance of BMAT as a modifiable factor in age-related health decline. It will conclude by outlining future directions in research, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of BMAT’s systemic effects to unlock novel interventions from a geroscience approach.

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Dr. Duque is a geriatrician and biomedical scientist with a research interest in the mechanisms, potential therapies, and biomarkers for age-related bone loss, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, osteosarcopenia, and frailty in older persons. He is also studying the effect of vitamin D, exercise, protein and nutraceuticals on bone and muscle mass. His initial training included Internal Medicine at Javeriana University (Colombia) and Geriatric Medicine, which he completed at McGill University in Montreal (Canada). Subsequently, he obtained his Ph.D. at McGill University in 2003 with a thesis entitled ‘Molecular Changes of the Aging Osteoblast’ under the supervision of Dr. Richard Kremer. Between 2003 and November 2007, he joined the McGill University Medical School faculty as a member of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and as a Researcher at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research. In November 2007, he moved to Australia to join the Faculty as Associate Professor and Head of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Director of the Musculoskeletal Ageing Research Program at Sydney Medical School Nepean -University of Sydney. In 2012, he was promoted to Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney. Between 2015 and 2022, Dr. Duque was Chair of Medicine and Director of the Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science at the University of Melbourne.
In 2022, Dr. Duque assumed the roles of Full Professor, Dr. Joseph Kaufmann Chair in Geriatric Medicine, Director – RUISSS McGill Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health of Seniors/ Simone & Edouard Shouela (CEDurable), and Principal Investigator at the Bone, Muscle & Geroscience Group of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, one of the official journals of the Gerontological Society of America. He is also the Chair of the recently created Canadian Translational Geroscience Network. As a Geriatrician and Clinician-Investigator, Dr. Duque has implemented several Falls and Fractures clinics (the most recent ones at the MUHC and the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal) where patients are comprehensively assessed for falls and fracture risk. His clinical trials unit conducts several trials testing the effect of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for age-related musculoskeletal diseases. He is the author of more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and multiple book chapters and has edited five books in the aging and musculoskeletal fields.