Research paves the way for new strategies that may help increase life expectancy.
Werner syndrome and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome are two examples of rare genetic disorders known as progeroid syndromes that cause signs of premature aging in children and adolescents, scientists said. Scitech Daily writes about it.
It has been noted that patients with progeroid syndromes have pathologies and symptoms that are often associated with aging. These include osteoporosis, cataracts, heart disease and type II diabetes.
“Based on theoretical considerations, we hypothesized that a molecular interaction between L1 RNA and a specific enzyme that regulates heterochromatin stability may be responsible for premature aging in progeria syndromes, ” said Francesco Della Valle, a researcher at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. (KAUST). .
The scientists were able to block the expression of L1 RNA and reverse the aging process in cells taken from patients with progeroid syndromes and mice genetically modified to mimic premature aging.
For this, short synthetic nucleotide chains called antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were used, which specifically target and degrade L1 RNA. But their L1 ASO has been modified to improve its ability to enter cells and remain stable within them.
“Among other observations, our work establishes an important rule. Contrary to what was previously thought, the aberrant expression of L1 RNA is not a consequence of the onset of aging, but its cause, at least in progeria. And now, for the first time, we report a specific, rather than a global target, that serves as an important factor in aging. Given the similarities between progeroid syndromes and other aging-related diseases, targeting in LINE-1 RNA may be an effective way to treat progeroid syndromes as well as other age-related diseases characterized by aberrant expression of LINE-1, such as neurodegenerative, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases , and cancer,” the scientists said.
Recall that early Israeli scientists developed a molecule that could increase life expectancy and prevent age-related diseases.
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Source: korrespondent
