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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1982)
state Scientist researches ties Aging, immunity close United Press International FORT WORTH — Research into aging is not aimed at enabl ing people to live to 150 or beyond, one scientist says, but at making our alloted three-score- and-ten healthier, happier and more active years. Toward that end, Dr. Robert Gracy, head of'the biochemistry Dr. Robert Gracy, head of biochemistry depart ment at Texas College of Medicine, believes most of the health problems of the elderly can be traced to failures of the immune system. department at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, devotes his laboratory time to the human body’s “garbage disposals,” where he investigates how a cell’s inability to shed certain en zymes — the garbage — leads to a breakdown of immunity. Gracy, who recently was awarded a $431,000, Five-year grant from the National Insti tute of Aging, believes most of the health problems of the elderly can be traced to such a failure of the immune system. Young people’s cells, when stimulated, he said, produce en zymes that activate them into im munity cells. In older people, not only do the levels of those important enzymes not increase, but other negatively charged forms of the enzymes — the so- called cellular garbage — accu mulate in the cells. Part of Gracy’s research has involved examining people who suffer from progeria, the rare premature aging disease that re ceived so much publicity earlier this year when two victims — young boys from Texas and South Africa — were united at Disneyland. Gracy’s studies found that skin cells from the average 8-or 10-year-old contained only 1 to 5 percent of an enzyme known as TPI, a part of the cellular gar bage, while progeria victims of the same age had 25 to 35 per cent of the negatively charged TPI in their skin cells. “We can see changes in the body’s skin cells, in color and texture,” Gracy said. “This is probably happening in all cells in the body.” Gracy believes the “garbage” Part of Gracy’s research has involved examining people who suffer from progeria, the rare pre mature aging disease that received so much publicity earlier this year when two victims — young boys from Texas and South Africa — were united at Dis neyland. buildup is triggered by two ami no acids that change to a nega tive charge with age. Although he said no one yet knows why the negative enzymes accumulate in a cell, there is speculation that the accumulation inhibits a cell’s ability to produce the proteolytic enzymes, the garbage disposals. Gracy said no one can honest ly speculate what changes would occur if older people’s “garbage disposal” systems worked like those of the young. “But we presume they would be healthier,” he said. “And that is the real objective of anyone doing research in aging — not to make people live to be 150, but to allow the elderly to live as good a quality of life as a young person.” B. L. Shane's Lakeview Club The Very Best In Country-Western Music and Dancing" ^■Wednesday m The Best Pizza In Town! Honest. " INTRODUCES OUR BUY ONE, GET ONE JUST LIKE |T AT Vfe PRICE PIZZA SPECIAL! AT THE PIZZA MAT ONLY Please Present Coupon 846-3412 COUPON ___ ROCK TT R( by OZ Beginning Another Aggie Thursday night THIRSTY THURSDAY Free Beer AH Night! Cover $ 3 00 Live Music by B. L. Shane's STILLWATER'' BAUD 18-YEAR-OLDS — WE ADMIT MI1VOKS! 3 Miles North of Bryan on Tabor Road WEDNESDAY TONIGHT! Live Entertainment by The Tymes 2 for one ’till 10 o’clock DALLAS, the only club in town that gives .) away over $3,000 cash a month! DALLAS NIGHT GLUB IN THE DEUX CHENE COMPLEX BEHIND K-MART, COLLEGE STATION 693-2818 Couple hitches to Colorado to buy rare Presley record United Press International LUBBOCK — Wendy and Jim Berlowitz spent $930 and a weekend hitchhiking to Colora do for an Elvis Presley record they’ll never play. By outlasting bidders from Arizona and Florida, the couple paid $930 at a used record store We wrote the book on free delivery... ...and it’s been a best seller for over 20 years. The story? It begins with your phone call and ends at your door with a hot, delicious pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less. Domino’s Pizza is critically acclaimed as the #1 source for fast, free delivery. Check us out. 11:00-1:00 11:00-2:00 We use only 100% real dairy cheese. Fast, Free Delivery Store Address Phone: 000-0000 1504 Holleman, C.S 693-2335 4407 Texas, Bryan 260-9020 Our drivers carry less than $10.00. Limited delivery area. ©1981 Domino's Pizza, Inc. «ipsiilii f" mm $1.|5D Off any 12 4-item or more pizza. One coupon per pizza. Fast, Free Delivery. Expires 5/16/82 in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the 45-rpm record issued in 1957 only to radio stations as a special preview of a forthcoming Presley album. Although the record itself is valuable, Mrs. Berlowitz claimed the real buy was the record sleeve bearing Elvis’ picture. “This is only one of three such records known to exist,” she said. “A collector paid $2,000 for one just like it two years ago. At this price, we stole it.” Mrs. Berlowitz, 33, claimed the records would never be play ed or sold. “Oh, God, no, we’ll never play it,” she said after buying the Presley record Friday. “We might scratch it.” The couple hitchhiked from Lubbock Monday clutching the fruits of another suceesjfll jd ^TA tfr e ss I I nterna recml .lades, the Secretary 1. purchased Buddy Holiylj$ ds sa th ' try Wise,” a rareJbum "barrell S m Holland in 1965. |I,si ana sak domes v “We couldn’t believeheddoil-producing coin to us,” Mrs. BerlowitzsakW^pon" and strengt Griggs, president of theJ®'gn policy. Holly Memorial Society,k ford, who n-e-,wt t in Lubbock. petroleum Reserve The record, which hr fif'!/''i:' "l 1 the 1 songs on each side, wasiwLintri > etH j , uin ' in the 1950s by Holly, es. said he was in a 1959 airplanecrashMj^ the 250 mimoml concert tour. itwKrw ,orm “It’s the only 10-inch|' , (*wL;| )Un '^ c ! ' nt °di of the record) known tot'L j,^ f :)rai ^ ln g SBf Mrs. Berlowitz said. Kg?"* Wer The couple, who saidt^v p " exiblll ty >> was broken, hitchhiked I- s n t ’ 01 c war ned: they did not trust theirrflfP ' out tb e w arricV, 6 nuist rem et: ardshtps that ^ } Jed. We must renew r tQ regaining om Impendence. Reagan has built th in the mail. Got the dissertation blues? You finally finished f masterpiece. But now f need to type it, copy it ^ bind it. Cheer up — let ON THE DOUBLE, inc. Take it from here. You've already done enough work. Our typists can hm your tables, technical symbols, and other special needs. 0 s ' XEROX 9400 gives you clear, inexpensive copies. The price ( right on our attractive spiral bindings. We stock plenty oftlueli" 1 paper for your convenience. All in all, we give you the be* 1 deal, and we keep up with TAMU regulations regard/: theses and dissertations. Don't hesitate — take that dissert tion ON THE DOUBLE to 331 University, right there 2 * Northgate. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-lO p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m 846-3755 '{ Ap Ri !♦♦♦♦♦<