Tag: RNA

A recent study identified SRSF1, an RNA-processing and splicing factor, as a molecule with geroprotective potential. Inducing SRSF1 expression rejuvenated human cells in vitro, extended lifespan, and significantly reduced frailty in mice [1]. Alternative approaches Differentiated cells have the capacity to rejuvenate if an appropriate molecular environment is provided. The best-known factors that enable cellular...

Researchers have discovered a primate-specific piece of non-coding RNA that is linked to aging and makes senescence worse. The packing matters While non-coding RNA strands (ncRNAs) do not themselves produce proteins, they serve crucial regulatory functions. Short ncRNAs, such as microRNAs, are involved in the fine-tuning of transcriptional pathways, modulating the proteins produced by coding...

A new study has used aging trajectories of various cell types to predict diseases such as Alzheimer’s and lung cancer [1]. This expands on previous research into organ-specific aging. Age is more than one number Gone are the days when aging was assumed to be happening uniformly across every tissue at once. Today, we know...

In a new study, researchers report producing self-assembling nanotubes and rings made from RNA molecules inside artificial cell-like lipid vesicles. In the future, this technology could facilitate the creation of synthetic cells for various research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications [1]. Paperless origami DNA and RNA molecules are central to life, carrying essential genetic information for...

Some longevity biotech companies fit neatly into one of the big buckets we have in this field, like senolytics or cellular reprogramming. Others, such as Junevity, a small spin-out from the University of California, San Francisco, dare to walk an unbeaten path. Junevity pursues the ambitious goal of fixing age-related transcriptional dysregulation using short interfering...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) only affects a fraction of cells and must be treated with high specificity. Scientists have achieved that by targeting mRNA sites associated with the disease [1]. Cryptic behavior ALS is a neurodegenerative disease in which age is a major factor. While it can be diagnosed at almost any age, the average...