senescence tagged posts

A new study suggests that unrepaired DNA damage can increase the speed of aging. Every day, our bodies face a bombardment of UV rays, ozone, cigarette smoke, industrial chemicals and other hazards.

This exposure can lead to free-rad...

In the absence of SIRT7, a human primary cell displays multiple nucleoli. DNA was stained with DAPI (turquoise) and nucleolus was stained with anti-fibrillarin (red).

Aging is a process of gradual deterioration from exposure to time and the elements; this process begins with deterioration deep inside every cell. Researchers from Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) have identified a protein that guards cells against senescence – aging-related problems – by protecting a particularly vulnerable set of genes. The study is published in the July 13 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The genes that encode components of the ribosome – the protein-making machine of the cell – are abundant and constantly in use...

Spinster homolog 1 (Drosophila) SPNS1

In a new study, TSRI, Florida scientists have shown how 2 genes “balance” each other to maintain normal cell function. A disruption in one of the genes, called spns1, can induce degradation and premature “senescence” – or aging – while the other gene, called atp6v0ca, can jump in to suppress that degradation. Their experiments in zebrafish suggest that these combined genetic disruptions can counteract premature aging and extend developmental lifespan.

“We found that the dual defects did indeed counteract senescence during development and extended the animal’s survival and life span,” said TSRI Associate Professor Shuji Kishi...