Tag: Epigenetics

In a groundbreaking Nature paper, researchers have developed synthetic regulatory sequences that could prevent targeted gene therapies from having effects in unwanted cell types. More than methylation While methylation is the most well-known regulator of gene expression, it isn't the only thing that determines what is to be expressed when. Cis-regulatory elements (CREs), so called...

Juan José Alba-Linares and his research team have published a preprint study that examined why different animals age at different rates. They found that epigenetic changes over time could explain why some animals live longer and estimated an upper limit for mammalian lifespan [1]. A problem of noise Why We Age: Epigenetic AlterationsEpigenetic alterations are...

In a preprint published in bioRxiv, researchers have published their findings in applying an epigenetic clock to the axolotl, a salamander species that does not age like humans. More than just regeneration Axolotls, and salamanders more generally, are well-known for their regenerative capabilities, being able to grow back lost limbs [1]. These amphibians, similarly to...

A preprint study published on bioRxiv discusses how a species' maximum lifespan can be predicted by its epigenetics, showing that these differences are largely unaffected by interventions. Differences and similarities in mammals The researchers begin their paper with a note that bowhead whales live over a hundred times as long as shrews, even though these...

A research paper published in Nature by Dr. Vadim Gladyshev and his team has investigated the epigenetic aging of the naked mole rat, an animal whose mortality rate does not appear to increase with age. Why We Age: Epigenetic AlterationsEpigenetic alterations are age-related changes in gene expression that harm the fundamental functions of cells and...

Researchers publishing in Aging Cell have discovered how and why oleuropein (OLP), a polyphenol derived from olives, ameliorates epigenetic kidney aging. KidneyThe kidney's main function is to filter waste products out of the blood and deliver the resulting urine to the bladder. The functional unit of the kidney is called the nephron, and each kidney...