Tag: Gene Therapy

In a new study, muscle-targeted viral-vector-based delivery of the protein FGF21 significantly increased median lifespan in male mice and improved many healthspan markers [1]. Control your energy Metabolic dysregulation is a core cause of aging [2]. As animals (and people) age, they tend to gain fat, develop insulin resistance, and run their cellular energy systems...

Scientists have devised a CRISPR-based tool that can kill cells carrying a specific strand of RNA. The tested targets include cancerous and virus-infected cells [1]. Targeted assassination of cells CRISPR-based systems work by cutting or changing DNA at a particular spot, an ability that can be used to fix dangerous mutations, such as in the...

A recent study investigated the roles of brown adipose tissue and a lipid-controlling hormone, 12,13-diHOME, in cardiac health. The researchers examined the molecular mechanisms behind 12,13-diHOME's effects on the hearts of aged mice [1]. The aging heart Aging leads to many cardiovascular system-related changes, which are connected to disruptions in Ca2+ metabolism [2]. Similarly, brown...

Researchers have investigated a never-before-used method of transfecting senescent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and published their results In the Cell journal Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids. Detergents for gene therapy Altering the genetics of a living person is much trickier than altering them in cells in a dish, and it requires entirely different approaches. One of...

Yesterday in Aging Cell, researchers published their findings that using gene therapy to overexpress a synaptic promoter increases cognitive ability in ordinary, middle-aged mice. Hevin vs. SPARC Astrocytes are general-purpose helper cells of the brain, and one of their tasks is to maintain synapse structure [1]. They secrete synapse-modifying molecules, including members of the SPARC...

In JCI Insight, researchers have explored the possibility of using gene therapy to restore a crucial protein and repair hearing loss. Hearing and its failure In mammals, afferent neurons, which originate from the inner ear, transform received stimuli (sound waves) into electrical signals [1]. This process is known as mechanoelectrical transduction, and a specific myosin,...