Depok, October 25th 2023. Prof. Anom Bowolaksono, Ph.D. inaugurated as Professor in the Field of Integrative Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) Universitas Indonesia (UI). The inauguration procession was led by the Chair of the UI Board of Professors, Prof. Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, S.H., M.A., Ph.D was held on Wednesday (25/10), at the Universitas Indonesia Convention Hall, UI Campus, Depok. Prof. Anom was inaugurated as a professor after delivering a scientific oration entitled “Programming Death, Delaying Aging Sustainably”.
In his speech, Prof. Anom said that as is the nature of life, cells have a limited life span. However, unlike most humans who want to live long, cells have a death mechanism when they reach a certain point in time which makes them no longer productive. This biological death mechanism is called programmed cell death (PCD), which allows cells to self-destruct. There are two main mechanisms of cell death that are currently known, namely unprogrammed (necrosis) and programmed (apoptosis).
According to Prof. Anom, apoptosis is an essential mechanism that occurs at various stages of life. This event is involved in the individualization of the fingers during the process of embryo formation, plays a role in the dorsal closure and rotation of the genital organs during morphogenesis, returns the uterine wall to its initial postpartum condition, and cleanses body cells that have been damaged and cannot be repaired.
“Apoptosis is a conserved mechanism that is fundamental for the survival of life. Dysregulation of apoptosis can lead to various problems, such as cancer and aging. By studying the basics of programmed cell death, we can program cell death to overcome problems in human life, such as cancer and several other degenerative disorders,” said Prof. Anom.
Cancer, which is one of the leading causes of death in the world, is caused by problems in the apoptosis signaling pathway. These problems include an imbalance of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins, decreased caspase function, and disruption of death receptor signaling where cell death which is needed to maintain a balance in cell numbers does not occur. As a result, cells continue to multiply and form tumors. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of apoptosis can lead to new, more effective and specific cancer therapies.
Apart from cancer, disruption of apoptosis also results in degeneration of body organ function, one of the signs of which is aging. One of the effects of aging whose occurrence has an impact on the continuity of life can be seen in the aspect of female fertility. Research by Prof. Anom did show that the reproductive system is the organ system with the fastest rate of aging compared to other body systems.
In the female reproductive system, the number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies in female oocytes and cumulus cells has been shown to continue to decrease with age. In fact, mtDNA plays an important role in oocyte maturation, successful fertilization, and postimplantation embryo development. In addition, the absence of BAX, one of the proapoptotic factors, was reported to favor the survival of primordial follicles thereby increasing ovarian survival time and fertility. Therefore, along with the current trend of delaying birth and marriage, understanding the role of apoptosis in the aging of the female reproductive system can lead to the development of methods to maintain fertility and maintain pregnancy.
Before conducting a study on the mechanism of apoptosis, Prof. Anom has done a lot of similar research. Some of them are The origin and possible mechanism of embryonic cell-free DNA release in spent embryo culture media: a review (2023); The effect of follitropin alfa in controlled ovarian stimulation protocol for in vitro fertilization cycles (2023); and Cryoprotective effects of longan honey on preantral follicle integrity of rat ovary post vitrification (2023).
Prof. Anom Bowolaksono, Ph.D. completed a Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the Universitas Indonesia in 1997; completed the Master’s Program in Cell Biology at Okayama University, Japan in 2006; and obtained a Doctorate in Cell Biology at Okayama University, Japan in 2009. He served as Associate Professor of the Biology Department, FMIPA UI in 2016, and is currently a lecturer at the Biology Department, FMIPA UI.
The inauguration procession of professor Prof. Anom was also attended by the Professor of FMIPA, Bogor Agricultural Institute, Prof. Dr. Ir. Miftahudin, M.Si.; Professor of FMIPA Makassar State University, Prof. Oslan Jumadi, S.Si., M.Phil., Ph.D; Professor at the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, University of Papua, Prof. Dr. Ir. Andoyo Supriyantono, M.Sc; Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Bandung Institute of Technology, Prof. Dr. Elfahmi, S.Si., M.Si.; Dean of FMIPA IPB, Dr. Berry Juliandi; and WHO Consultant to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr. M. Sudomo.
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Dra. Amelita Lusia, M.Sc., CPR
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