aging tagged posts

The structure of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Human TERT contains four key domains: the telomerase essential N-terminal (TEN) domain; the TERT RNA binding (TRB) domain; the reverse transcriptase (RT) domain and the C-terminal extension (CTE) domain.

Researchers from several institutions, including, UCLA, Boston University, Stanford University and the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, analyzed blood samples from nearly 10,000 people to find that genetic markers in the gene responsible for keeping telomeres (tips of chromosomes) youthfully longer, did not translate into a younger biologic age as measured by changes in proteins coating the DNA.

DNA methylation age is a biomarker of chronological age and predicts lifespan, but its underlying molecular mechan...

With disease, when you decrease autophagy (a garbage disposal-like process where cells “eat” debris they produce) the disease process is exacerbated and when you increase it you get the opposite effect. Aggregation of polyglutamine expansion protein is a hallmark of Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The picture shows that there are more aggregates of green fluorescence protein-labelled polyglutamine expansion protein in autophagy deficient worms (bottom) compared to normal worms (top).

Restricting how much you eat without starving has been shown to robustly extend lifespan in more than 20 species of animals including primates. How this works is still unclear...

In a human cell, CHIP (red) is recruited to clusters of a dementia-inducing protein (yellow). There is not enough CHIP for insulin receptor degradation in this situation. The cell undergoes premature aging. (Photo: CECAD)

Researchers uncover the link between protein aggregation, aging. Early in evolution, sugar intake and the regulation of life span were linked with each other. The hormone insulin is crucial here. It reduces blood sugar levels by binding to its receptor on the cell surface. However, many processes for stress management and survival are shut down at the same time. When there is a good supply of food, they appear unnecessary to the organism, although this reduces life expectancy over the long term. The insulin receptor thus acts like a brake on life expectancy...

ITGB3 (integrin β3) is regulated by the Polycomb protein CBX7 •β3 regulates senescence by activating TGF-β in a paracrine and autocrine fashion •β3 is highly expressed in OIS and induces senescence via ligand-independent pathway •There is a positive correlation between β3 levels and aging in different tissues

A protein has been found to have a previously unknown role in the aging of cells, according to an early study by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The researchers hope that the findings could one day lead to new treatments for aging and early cancer. A number of ‘abnormal’ cells have previously been found in tissues derived from old patients and at the initial stages of cancer...