bims-senagi Biomed News
on Senescence and aging
Issue of 2021‒08‒15
forty-seven papers selected by
Maria Grazia Vizioli
Mayo Clinic
  1. Cellular senescence in lymphoid organs and immunosenescence.
  2. Fisetin for COVID-19 in Skilled Nursing Facilities (COVID-FIS): Senolytic Trials in the COVID Era.
  3. Intercellular Transfer of Mitochondria between Senescent Cells through Cytoskeleton-Supported Intercellular Bridges Requires mTOR and CDC42 Signalling.
  4. Senescence-associated hyper-activation to inflammatory stimuli in vitro.
  5. Engineered Aging Cardiac Tissue Chip Model for Studying Cardiovascular Disease.
  6. Delayed Senescence of Human Vascular Endothelial Cells by Molecular Mobility of Supramolecular Biointerfaces.
  7. Targeting Aging: Lessons Learned From Immunometabolism and Cellular Senescence.
  8. Cellular senescence at the crossroads of inflammation and Alzheimer's disease.
  9. Omarigliptin Prevents TNF-α-Induced Cellular Senescence in Rat Aorta Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.
  10. A review study on the modulation of SIRT1 expression by miRNAs in aging and age-associated diseases.
  11. Harnessing α-l-fucosidase for in vivo cellular senescence imaging.
  12. Telomerase therapy reverses vascular senescence and extends lifespan in progeria mice.
  13. Ginsenoside Rg1 prevents bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell senescence via NRF2 and PI3K/Akt signaling.
  14. Allotransplantation Is Associated With Exacerbation of CD8 T-Cell Senescence: The Particular Place of the Innate CD8 T-Cell Component.
  15. Inflammaging - contributing mechanisms and cellular signaling pathways
  16. Dynamic Aging: Channeled Through Microenvironment.
  17. Using a new HSPC senescence model in vitro to explore the mechanism of cellular memory in aging HSPCs.
  18. The Potential of Calorie Restriction and Calorie Restriction Mimetics in Delaying Aging: Focus on Experimental Models.
  19. Nuclear cGAS: sequestration and beyond.
  20. The role of cGAS-STING signalling in liver diseases.
  21. Effects of Aging on Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Transcriptional Changes in Pathways of Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Clearance.
  22. Cooperative DNA binding mediated by KicGAS/ORF52 oligomerization allows inhibition of DNA-induced phase separation and activation of cGAS.
  23. Physical exercise prevents age-related heart dysfunction induced by high-salt intake and heart salt-specific overexpression in Drosophila.
  24. MeCP2 prevents age-associated cognitive decline via restoring synaptic plasticity in a senescence-accelerated mouse model.
  25. The Innate Immune cGAS-STING-Pathway in Cardiovascular Diseases - A Mini Review.
  26. Sexual dimorphism in liver cell cycle and senescence signaling pathways in young and old rats.
  27. Long-term survival of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during conditional senescence.
  28. Long Non-coding RNA Signatures Associated With Liver Aging in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 Model.
  29. What telomeres teach us about MS.
  30. The San Diego Nathan Shock Center: tackling the heterogeneity of aging.
  31. Promise of metformin for preventing age-related cognitive dysfunction.
  32. Hsf1 promotes hematopoietic stem cell fitness and proteostasis in response to ex vivo culture stress and aging.
  33. A candidate gene of Alzheimer diseases was mutated in senescence-accelerated mouse prone (SAMP) 8 mice.
  34. Effects of sex and aging on the immune cell landscape as assessed by single-cell transcriptomic analysis.
  35. Neuroprotective effects of salidroside on ageing hippocampal neurons and naturally ageing mice via the PI3K/Akt/TERT pathway.
  36. Crosstalk Between Dysfunctional Mitochondria and Inflammation in Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration.
  37. Healthy aging and the blood-brain barrier.
  38. Disrupted macrophage metabolic reprogramming in aged soleus muscle during early recovery following disuse atrophy.
  39. WEE1i and ATRi trigger STING-dependent immune response and enhance tumor treatment efficacy through PD-L1 blockade.
  40. Aged skeletal stem cells generate an inflammatory degenerative niche.
  41. A metabolomic aging clock using human CSF.
  42. The antagonistic pleiotropy of insulin-like growth factor 1.
  43. White adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity and aging.
  44. How the immune system shapes atherosclerosis: roles of innate and adaptive immunity.
  45. Inflammasome activation at the crux of severe COVID-19.
  46. The impacts of frailty on heart rate variability in aging mice: roles of the autonomic nervous system and sinoatrial node.
  47. Roles of physical exercise in neurodegeneration: reversal of epigenetic clock.
  1. Aging (Albany NY). 2021 Aug 12. 13(undefined):
    Cellular senescence in lymphoid organs and immunosenescence.
    Vivekananda Budamagunta, Thomas C Foster, Daohong Zhou.
      Immunosenescence is a multi-faceted phenomenon at the root of age-associated immune dysfunction. It can lead to an array of pathological conditions, including but not limited to a decreased capability to surveil and clear senescent cells (SnCs) and cancerous cells, an increased autoimmune responses leading to tissue damage, a reduced ability to tackle pathogens, and a decreased competence to illicit a robust response to vaccination. Cellular senescence is a phenomenon by which oncogene-activated, stressed or damaged cells undergo a stable cell cycle arrest. Failure to efficiently clear SnCs results in their accumulation in an organism as it ages. SnCs actively secrete a myriad of molecules, collectively called senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which are factors that cause dysfunction in the neighboring tissue. Though both cellular senescence and immunosenescence have been studied extensively and implicated in various pathologies, their relationship has not been greatly explored. In the wake of an ongoing pandemic (COVID-19) that disproportionately affects the elderly, immunosenescence as a function of age has become a topic of great importance. The goal of this review is to explore the role of cellular senescence in age-associated lymphoid organ dysfunction and immunosenescence, and provide a framework to explore therapies to rejuvenate the aged immune system.
    Keywords:  cellular senescence; immune senescence; immunosenescence; senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP); thymus
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203405
  2. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Aug 10.
    Fisetin for COVID-19 in Skilled Nursing Facilities (COVID-FIS): Senolytic Trials in the COVID Era.
    Brandon P Verdoorn, Tamara K Evans, Gregory J Hanson, Yi Zhu, Larissa G P Langhi Prata, Robert J Pignolo, Elizabeth J Atkinson, Erin O Wissler-Gerdes, George A Kuchel, Joan B Mannick, Stephen B Kritchevsky, Sundeep Khosla, Stacey A Rizza, Jeremy D Walston, Nicolas Musi, Lewis A Lipsitz, Douglas P Kiel, Raymond Yung, Nathan K LeBrasseur, Ravinder J Singh, Teresa McCarthy, Michael A Puskarich, Laura J Niedernhofer, Paul D Robbins, Matthew Sorenson, Tamara Tchkonia, James L Kirkland.
      The burden of senescent cells (SnCs), which do not divide but are metabolically active and resistant to death by apoptosis, is increased in older adults and those with chronic diseases. These individuals are also at greatest risk for morbidity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 complications include cytokine storm and multi-organ failure mediated by the same factors as often produced by SnCs through their senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The SASP can be amplified by infection-related pathogen-associated molecular profile factors (PAMPs). Senolytic agents, such as Fisetin, selectively eliminate SnCs and delay, prevent, or alleviate multiple disorders in aged experimental animals and animal models of human chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and respiratory diseases. Senolytics are now in clinical trials for multiple conditions linked to SnCs, including frailty, obesity/diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular, kidney, and lung diseases, which are also risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 morbidity and mortality. A clinical trial is underway to test if senolytics decrease SARS-CoV-2 progression and morbidity in hospitalized older adults. We describe here an NIH-funded, multi-center, placebo-controlled clinical trial of Fisetin for older adult skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents who have been, or become, SARS-CoV-2 rtPCR-positive, including the rationale for targeting fundamental aging mechanisms in such patients. We consider logistic challenges of conducting trials in long-term care settings in the SARS-CoV-2 era, including restricted access, consent procedures, methods for obtaining biospecimens and clinical data, staffing, investigational product administration issues, and potential solutions for these challenges. We propose developing a national network of SNFs engaged in interventional clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
    Keywords:  Cellular Senescence; Facility for Geroscience Analysis; SARS-CoV-2; Senolytics; Translational Geroscience Network
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.17416
  3. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021 ;2021 6697861
    Intercellular Transfer of Mitochondria between Senescent Cells through Cytoskeleton-Supported Intercellular Bridges Requires mTOR and CDC42 Signalling.
    Hannah E Walters, Lynne S Cox.
      Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible cell proliferation arrest induced by various stressors including telomere attrition, DNA damage, and oncogene induction. While beneficial as an acute response to stress, the accumulation of senescent cells with increasing age is thought to contribute adversely to the development of cancer and a number of other age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases for which there are currently no effective disease-modifying therapies. Non-cell-autonomous effects of senescent cells have been suggested to arise through the SASP, a wide variety of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and exosomes secreted by senescent cells. Here, we report an additional means of cell communication utilised by senescent cells via large numbers of membrane-bound intercellular bridges-or tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs)-containing the cytoskeletal components actin and tubulin, which form direct physical connections between cells. We observe the presence of mitochondria in these TNTs and show organelle transfer through the TNTs to adjacent cells. While transport of individual mitochondria along single TNTs appears by time-lapse studies to be unidirectional, we show by differentially labelled co-culture experiments that organelle transfer through TNTs can occur between different cells of equivalent cell age, but that senescent cells, rather than proliferating cells, appear to be predominant mitochondrial donors. Using small molecule inhibitors, we demonstrate that senescent cell TNTs are dependent on signalling through the mTOR pathway, which we further show is mediated at least in part through the downstream actin-cytoskeleton regulatory factor CDC42. These findings have significant implications for the development of senomodifying therapies, as they highlight the need to account for local direct cell-cell contacts as well as the SASP in order to treat cancer and diseases of ageing in which senescence is a key factor.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6697861
  4. Aging (Albany NY). 2021 Aug 10. 13(undefined):
    Senescence-associated hyper-activation to inflammatory stimuli in vitro.
    Vivekananda Budamagunta, Sahana Manohar-Sindhu, Yang Yang, Yonghan He, Dmitry O Traktuev, Thomas C Foster, Daohong Zhou.
      Aging is associated with an increased susceptibility to adverse inflammatory conditions such as sepsis and cytokine storm. We hypothesized that senescent cells (SnCs) play a central role in this age-associated pathology in part due to their expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which may prime SnCs to inflammatory stimulation. To test this hypothesis, we examined the expression of various inflammatory cytokines and chemokines at the levels of gene transcription and protein production in various SnCs in vitro in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin-1β (IL1β), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) stimulation. We found that SnCs not only expressed higher basal levels of various inflammatory cytokines and chemokines as a manifestation of the SASP, but more importantly exhibited hyper-activation of the induction of a variety of inflammatory mediators in response to LPS, IL1β and TNFα stimulation as compared with non-SnCs. This senescence-associated hyper-activation is likely mediated in part via the p38MAPK (p38) and NFκB pathways because LPS stimulation elicited significantly higher levels of p38 phosphorylation and NFκB p65 nuclear translation in SnCs when compared to their non-senescent counterparts and inhibition of these pathways with losmapimod (a p38 specific inhibitor) and BMS-345541 (a selective NFκB inhibitor) attenuated LPS-induced expression of IL6, TNFα, CCL5, and IL1β mRNA in SnCs. These findings suggest that SnCs may play an important role in the age-related increases in the susceptibility to developing an exacerbated inflammatory response and highlight the potential to use senotherapeutics to ameliorate the severity of various devastating inflammatory conditions in the elderly.
    Keywords:  SASP; cellular senescence; inflammation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203396
  5. Cells Tissues Organs. 2021 Aug 06. 1-12
    Engineered Aging Cardiac Tissue Chip Model for Studying Cardiovascular Disease.
    Sachin Budhathoki, Caleb Graham, Palaniappan Sethu, Ramaswamy Kannappan.
      Due to the rapidly growing number of older people worldwide and the concomitant increase in cardiovascular complications, there is an urgent need for age-related cardiac disease modeling and drug screening platforms. In the present study, we developed a cardiac tissue chip model that incorporates hemodynamic loading and mimics essential aspects of the infarcted aging heart. We induced cellular senescence in H9c2 myoblasts using low-dose doxorubicin treatment. These senescent cells were then used to engineer cardiac tissue fibers, which were subjected to hemodynamic stresses associated with pressure-volume changes in the heart. Myocardial ischemia was modeled in the engineered cardiac tissue via hypoxic treatment. Our results clearly show that acute low-dose doxorubicin treatment-induced senescence, as evidenced by morphological and molecular markers, including enlarged and flattened nuclei, DNA damage response foci, and increased expression of cell cycle inhibitor p16INK4a, p53, and ROS. Under normal hemodynamic load, the engineered cardiac tissues demonstrated cell alignment and retained cardiac cell characteristics. Our senescent cardiac tissue model of hypoxia-induced myocardial infarction recapitulated the pathological disease hallmarks such as increased cell death and upregulated expression of ANP and BNP. In conclusion, the described methodology provides a novel approach to generate stress-induced aging cardiac cell phenotypes and engineer cardiac tissue chip models to study the cardiovascular disease pathologies associated with aging.
    Keywords:  Aging; Biomimetic cardiac tissue chip models; Cellular senescence; DNA damage; Hypoxia
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1159/000516954
  6. Macromol Biosci. 2021 Aug 12. e2100216
    Delayed Senescence of Human Vascular Endothelial Cells by Molecular Mobility of Supramolecular Biointerfaces.
    Yoshinori Arisaka, Hiroki Masuda, Tetsuya Yoda, Nobuhiko Yui.
      Yes-associated protein (YAP), a transcriptional coactivator of the Hippo signaling pathway, has been widely implicated in vascular aging and diseases. For preventing vascular endothelial cell senescence, the design and development of biomaterials to regulate YAP activity are required. This study prepares polyrotaxane-coated surfaces with molecular mobility and clarifies the role of the mobility on vascular endothelial cell senescence through Hippo-YAP signaling. The polyrotaxane surface with high mobility induces cytoplasmic YAP localization in endothelial cells, whereas the surface with low mobility induces nuclear YAP localization. After serial cultivation of endothelial cells using polyrotaxane surfaces with different mobilities for 35 d, the endothelial cells aged on the polyrotaxane surface with high mobility exhibit higher proliferative potential, smaller spreading size, and lower activity of senescence-associated β-galactosidase than those aged on the surface with low mobility. These findings suggest that cellular senescence can be delayed by modulating the molecular mobility on polyrotaxane surfaces.
    Keywords:  Yes-associated protein; cellular senescence; molecular mobility; polyrotaxane; vascular endothelial cells
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.202100216
  7. Front Immunol. 2021 ;12 714742
    Targeting Aging: Lessons Learned From Immunometabolism and Cellular Senescence.
    Dominique E Martin, Blake L Torrance, Laura Haynes, Jenna M Bartley.
      It is well known that aging is associated with dysregulated metabolism. This is seen both in terms of systemic metabolism, as well as at the cellular level with clear mitochondrial dysfunction. More recently, the importance of cellular metabolism in immune cells, or immunometabolism, has been highlighted as a major modifier of immune cell function. Indeed, T cell activation, differentiation, and effector function partly depend on alterations in metabolic pathways with different cell types and functionality favoring either glycolysis or oxidative phosphorylation. While immune system dysfunction with aging is well described, what remains less elucidated is how the integral networks that control immune cell metabolism are specifically affected by age. In recent years, this significant gap has been identified and work has begun to investigate the various ways immunometabolism could be impacted by both chronological age and age-associated symptoms, such as the systemic accumulation of senescent cells. Here, in this mini-review, we will examine immunometabolism with a focus on T cells, aging, and interventions, such as mTOR modulators and senolytics. This review also covers a timely perspective on how immunometabolism may be an ideal target for immunomodulation with aging.
    Keywords:  T cell; aging; geroscience; immunometabolism; senescence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.714742
  8. Trends Neurosci. 2021 Jul 24. pii: S0166-2236(21)00119-3. [Epub ahead of print]
    Cellular senescence at the crossroads of inflammation and Alzheimer's disease.
    Ana Guerrero, Bart De Strooper, I Lorena Arancibia-Cárcamo.
      Aging is a key risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the reasons for this association are not well understood. Senescent cells accumulate in aged tissues and have been shown to play causal roles in age-related pathologies through their proinflammatory secretome. The question arises whether senescence-induced inflammation might contribute to AD and bridge the gap between aging and AD. Here, we highlight the role of cellular senescence as a driver of the aging phenotype, and discuss the current evidence that connects senescence with AD and neurodegeneration.
    Keywords:  SASP; aging; astrocytes; microglia; neurodegeneration; neuroinflammation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2021.06.007
  9. Chem Res Toxicol. 2021 Aug 12.
    Omarigliptin Prevents TNF-α-Induced Cellular Senescence in Rat Aorta Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.
    Xijun Zhang, Jianjun Yuan, Nanqian Zhou, Kaikai Shen, Yisa Wang, Ke Wang, Haohui Zhu.
      Cellular senescence is one of the most significant factors involved in aging and age-related diseases. Senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) adversely affects the function of the cardiovascular system and contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an important incretin hormone involved in insulin release and vascular tone. GLP-1 is quickly degraded by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4). Omarigliptin is a new DPP-4 inhibitor that has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress properties. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the selective DPP-4 inhibitor omarigliptin (OMG) on VSMCs exposed to insult from tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), one of the main inflammatory signaling molecules involved in cellular senescence. We found that OMG could suppress TNF-α-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-8) and inhibit oxidative stress by reducing the production of H2O2 and protein carbonyl. OMG ameliorated the increase in senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) and telomerase activity induced by TNF-α. The plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)/p53/p21 pathway is a key inducer of cellular senescence. OMG ameliorated the acetylation of p53 at lysine 382 (K382) and subsequent activation of p21 via inhibition of PAI-1. Importantly, our experiments revealed that blockage of silent information-regulator 1 (SIRT1) abolished the inhibitory effects of OMG on p53 acetylation, SA-β-gal activity, and telomerase activity in VSMCs. These results suggest that OMG may have the potential to delay or prevent the progression of age-related cardiovascular diseases by modulating the activity of SIRT1.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00076
  10. Int J Biol Macromol. 2021 Aug 05. pii: S0141-8130(21)01672-X. [Epub ahead of print]188 52-61
    A review study on the modulation of SIRT1 expression by miRNAs in aging and age-associated diseases.
    Aliabbas Zia, Faezeh Sahebdel, Tahereh Farkhondeh, Milad Ashrafizadeh, Ali Zarrabi, Kiavash Hushmandi, Saeed Samarghandian.
      Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) as a NAD + -dependent Class III protein deacetylase, involves in longevity and various cellular physiological processes. SIRT1 via deacetylating transcription factors regulates cell growth, inflammation, metabolism, hypoxic responses, cell survival, senescence, and aging. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that modulate the expression of target genes in a post-transcriptional manner. Recent investigations have exhibited that miRNAs have an important role in regulating cell growth, development, stress responses, tumor formation and suppression, cell death, and aging. In the present review, we summarize recent findings about the roles of miRNAs in regulating SIRT1 and SIRT1-associated signaling cascade and downstream effects, like apoptosis and aging. Here we introduce and discuss how activity and expression of SIRT1 are modulated by miRNAs and further review the therapeutic potential of targeting miRNAs for age-associated diseases that involve SIRT1 dysfunction. Although at its infancy, research on the roles of miRNAs in aging and their function through modulating SIRT1 may provide new insights in deciphering the key molecular pathways related to aging and age-associated disorders.
    Keywords:  Age-associated diseases; Aging; SIRT1; microRNAs
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.08.013
  11. Chem Sci. 2021 Jul 28. 12(29): 10054-10062
    Harnessing α-l-fucosidase for in vivo cellular senescence imaging.
    Seyoung Koo, Miae Won, Hao Li, Won Young Kim, Mingle Li, Chenxu Yan, Amit Sharma, Zhiqian Guo, Wei-Hong Zhu, Jonathan L Sessler, Jin Yong Lee, Jong Seung Kim.
      Precise detection of cellular senescence may allow its role in biological systems to be evaluated more effectively, while supporting studies of therapeutic candidates designed to evade its detrimental effect on physical function. We report here studies of α-l-fucosidase (α-fuc) as a biomarker for cellular senescence and the development of an α-fuc-responsive aggregation induced emission (AIE) probe, termed QM-NHαfuc designed to complement more conventional probes based on β-galactosidase (β-gal). Using QM-NHαfuc, the onset of replicative-, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-, ultraviolet A (UVA)-, and drug-induced senescence could be probed effectively. QM-NHαfuc also proved capable of identifying senescent cells lacking β-gal expression. The non-invasive real-time senescence tracking provided by QM-NHαfuc was validated in an in vivo senescence model. The results presented in this study lead us to suggest that the QM-NHαfuc could emerge as a useful tool for investigating senescence processes in biological systems.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sc02259h
  12. Eur Heart J. 2021 Aug 14. pii: ehab547. [Epub ahead of print]
    Telomerase therapy reverses vascular senescence and extends lifespan in progeria mice.
    Anahita Mojiri, Brandon K Walther, Chongming Jiang, Gianfranco Matrone, Rhonda Holgate, Qiu Xu, Elisa Morales, Guangyu Wang, Jianhua Gu, Rongfu Wang, John P Cooke.
      AIMS: Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an accelerated ageing syndrome associated with premature vascular disease and death due to heart attack and stroke. In HGPS a mutation in lamin A (progerin) alters nuclear morphology and gene expression. Current therapy increases the lifespan of these children only modestly. Thus, greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms of HGPS is required to improve therapy. Endothelial cells (ECs) differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from these patients exhibit hallmarks of senescence including replication arrest, increased expression of inflammatory markers, DNA damage, and telomere erosion. We hypothesized that correction of shortened telomeres may reverse these measures of vascular ageing.METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated ECs from iPSCs belonging to children with HGPS and their unaffected parents. Telomerase mRNA (hTERT) was used to treat HGPS ECs. Endothelial morphology and functions were assessed, as well as proteomic and transcriptional profiles with attention to inflammatory markers, DNA damage, and EC identity genes. In a mouse model of HGPS, we assessed the effects of lentiviral transfection of mTERT on measures of senescence, focusing on the EC phenotype in various organs. hTERT treatment of human HGPS ECs improved replicative capacity; restored endothelial functions such as nitric oxide generation, acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake and angiogenesis; and reduced the elaboration of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, hTERT treatment improved cellular and nuclear morphology, in association with a normalization of the transcriptional profile, effects that may be mediated in part by a reduction in progerin expression and an increase in sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Progeria mice treated with mTERT lentivirus manifested similar improvements, with a reduction in inflammatory and DNA damage markers and increased SIRT1 in their vasculature and other organs. Furthermore, mTERT therapy increased the lifespan of HGPS mice.
    CONCLUSION: Vascular rejuvenation using telomerase mRNA is a promising approach for progeria and other age-related diseases.
    Keywords:  Ageing; Endothelium; Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab547
  13. Free Radic Biol Med. 2021 Aug 05. pii: S0891-5849(21)00466-4. [Epub ahead of print]
    Ginsenoside Rg1 prevents bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell senescence via NRF2 and PI3K/Akt signaling.
    Ziling Wang, Lu Wang, Rong Jiang, Chang Li, Xiongbin Chen, Hanxianzhi Xiao, Jiying Hou, Ling Hu, Caihong Huang, Yaping Wang.
      Senescence limits the characteristics and functionality of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), thereby severely restricting their application in tissue engineering. Here, we investigated ways to prevent MSCs from entering a state of senescence. We found that Rg1, an extract of natural ginseng, can reduce the expression of senescence markers in cultured cells in vitro and in various tissues in vivo. Simultaneously, ginsenoside Rg1 improved the antioxidant capacity of cells, and the senescence-inhibiting and antioxidant effect of Rg1 were associated with the activation of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) signaling pathway. Furthermore, Rg1 may activate the NRF2 pathway by increasing the interaction between P62 and KEAP1 through P62 upregulation and AKT activation. Taken together, our findings indicate that Rg1 prevents cell senescence via NRF2 and AKT, and activation of AKT or NRF2 may thus represent therapeutic targets for preventing cell senescence.
    Keywords:  Ginsenoside Rg1; Mesenchymal stem cells; Senescence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.08.007
  14. Front Immunol. 2021 ;12 674016
    Allotransplantation Is Associated With Exacerbation of CD8 T-Cell Senescence: The Particular Place of the Innate CD8 T-Cell Component.
    Lauren Daniel, Marion Tassery, Clara Lateur, Antoine Thierry, André Herbelin, Jean-Marc Gombert, Alice Barbarin.
      Immunosenescence is a physiological process that is associated with changes in the immune system, particularly among CD8 T-cells. Recent studies have hypothesized that senescent CD8 T-cells are produced with chronologic age by chronic stimulation, leading to the acquisition of hallmarks of innate-like T-cells. While conventional CD8 T-cells are quite well characterized, CD8 T-cells sharing features of NK cells and memory CD8 T-cells, are a newly described immune cell population. They can be distinguished from conventional CD8 T-cells by their combined expression of panKIR/NKG2A and Eomesodermin (E), a unique phenotype closely associated with IFN-γ production in response to innate stimulation. Here, we first provided new evidence in favor of the innate character of panKIR/NKG2A(+) E(+) CD8 T-cells in normal subjects, documenting their position at an intermediate level in the innateness gradient in terms of both innate IFN-γ production and diminished mitochondrial mass. We also revealed that CD8 E(+) panKIR/NKG2A(+) T-cells, hereafter referred to as Innate E(+) CD8 T-cells, exhibit increased senescent (CD27(-) CD28(-)) phenotype, compared to their conventional memory counterparts. Surprisingly, this phenomenon was not dependent on age. Given that inflammation related to chronic viral infection is known to induce NK-like marker expression and a senescence phenotype among CD8 T-cells, we hypothesized that innate E(+) CD8 T-cells will be preferentially associated with exacerbated cellular senescence in response to chronic alloantigen exposure or CMV infection. Accordingly, in a pilot cohort of stable kidney allotransplant recipients, we observed an increased frequency of the Innate E(+) CD8 T-cell subset, together with an exacerbated senescent phenotype. Importantly, this phenotype cannot be explained by age alone, in clear contrast to their conventional memory counterparts. The senescent phenotype in CD8 T-cells was further increased in cytomegalovirus (CMV) positive serology transplant recipients, suggesting that transplantation and CMV, rather than aging by itself, may promote an exacerbated senescent phenotype of innate CD8 T-cells. In conclusion, we proposed that kidney transplantation, via the setting of inflammatory stimuli of alloantigen exposure and CMV infection, may exogenously age the CD8 T-cell compartment, especially its innate component. The physiopathological consequences of this change in the immune system remain to be elucidated.
    Keywords:  NK-like T-cells; allotransplantation; immune memory; innate memory CD8(+) T-cells; innateness gradient; senescence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.674016
  15. Postepy Biochem. 2021 06 30. 67(2): 177-192
    Inflammaging - contributing mechanisms and cellular signaling pathways
    Konstancja Grabowska, Marta Nowacka-Chmielewska, Jarosław Barski, Daniela Liskiewicz.
      Aging is a multifunctional process which is characterized by many changes on molecular, cellular and tissue levels. The chronic, sterile and low-grade inflammation process, that occurs during aging is referred to as 'inflammaging'. Inflammaging is mentioned as a risk factor for the onset and progression of chronic diseases, not only age-related. Inflammaging contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in elderly individuals, and also affects the lifespan and quality of life. Cell senescence and disturbances in the regulation of inflammasome activation, mitochondrial function, autophagy and mitophagy, ubiquitin-proteasome system and the response to DNA damage contribute to the development of inflammaging. The above processes interact with each other and are modulated by signaling pathways involved in the regulation of the inflammatory response, i.e. NF-kB, mTOR, RIG-I, Notch, TGF-b, Ras pathways, and regulation of sirtuin activity. The aim of the study is to present the processes and signaling pathways underlying inflammaging, including clinical and experimental studies.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18388/pb.2021_375
  16. Front Physiol. 2021 ;12 702276
    Dynamic Aging: Channeled Through Microenvironment.
    Qing Tan, Na Liang, Xiaoqian Zhang, Jun Li.
      Aging process is a complicated process that involves deteriorated performance at multiple levels from cellular dysfunction to organ degeneration. For many years research has been focused on how aging changes things within cell. However, new findings suggest that microenvironments, circulating factors or inter-tissue communications could also play important roles in the dynamic progression of aging. These out-of-cell mechanisms pass on the signals from the damaged aging cells to other healthy cells or tissues to promote systematic aging phenotypes. This review discusses the mechanisms of how senescence and their secretome, NAD+ metabolism or circulating factors change microenvironments to regulate systematic aging, as well as the potential therapeutic strategies based on these findings for anti-aging interventions.
    Keywords:  NAD+; SASP; aging; intercellular communication; microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.702276
  17. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2021 Aug 09. 12(1): 444
    Using a new HSPC senescence model in vitro to explore the mechanism of cellular memory in aging HSPCs.
    Yongpin Dong, Chunni Guo, Wuxiong Zhou, Wenfang Li, Lina Zhang.
      BACKGROUND: Age-associated changes attenuate human blood system functionality through the aging of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), manifested in human populations an increase in myeloproliferative disease and even leukemia; therefore, study on HSPC senescence bears great significance to treat hematopoietic-associated disease. Furthermore, the mechanism of HSPC aging is lacking, especially the cellular memory mechanism. Here, we not only reported a new HSPC senescence model in vitro, but also propose and verify the cellular memory mechanism of HSPC aging of the Polycomb/Trithorax system.METHODS: HSPCs (Lin-c-kit+ cells) were isolated and purified by magnetic cell sorting (MACS). The proportions and cell cycle distribution of cells were determined by flow cytometry; senescence-related β-galactosidase assay, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and colony-forming unit (CFU)-mix assay were detected for identification of the old HSPC model. Proteomic tests and RNA-seq were applied to analyze differential pathways and genes in the model cells. qPCR, Western blot (WB), and chromatin immunoprecipitation PCR (CHIP-PCR) were used to detect the gene expression of cell memory-related proteins. Knockdown of cell memory-related key genes was performed with shRNA interference.
    RESULTS: In the model old HSPCs, β-gal activity, cell cycle, colony-forming ability, aging-related cell morphology, and metabolic pathway were significantly changed compared to the young HSPCs. Furthermore, we found the model HSPCs have more obvious aging manifestations than those of natural mice, and IL3 is the major factor contributing to HSPC aging in the model. We also observed dramatic changes in the expression level of PRC/TrxG complexes. After further exploring the downstream molecules of PRC/TrxG complexes, we found that Uhrf1 and TopII played critical roles in HSPC aging based on the HSPC senescence model.
    CONCLUSIONS: These findings proposed a new HSPC senescence model in vitro which we forecasted could be used to preliminary screen the drugs of the HSPC aging-related hemopathy and suggested cellular memory mechanism of HSPC aging.
    Keywords:  Cellular memory; HSPC; Senescence model; TOPOIIα; UHRF1
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-021-02455-x
  18. Nutrients. 2021 Jul 09. pii: 2346. [Epub ahead of print]13(7):
    The Potential of Calorie Restriction and Calorie Restriction Mimetics in Delaying Aging: Focus on Experimental Models.
    Emiliana Giacomello, Luana Toniolo.
      Aging is a biological process determined by multiple cellular mechanisms, such as genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication, that ultimately concur in the functional decline of the individual. The evidence that the old population is steadily increasing and will triplicate in the next 50 years, together with the fact the elderlies are more prone to develop pathologies such as cancer, diabetes, and degenerative disorders, stimulates an important effort in finding specific countermeasures. Calorie restriction (CR) has been demonstrated to modulate nutrient sensing mechanisms, inducing a better metabolic profile, enhanced stress resistance, reduced oxidative stress, and improved inflammatory response. Therefore, CR and CR-mimetics have been suggested as powerful means to slow aging and extend healthy life-span in experimental models and humans. Taking into consideration the difficulties and ethical issues in performing aging research and testing anti-aging interventions in humans, researchers initially need to work with experimental models. The present review reports the major experimental models utilized in the study of CR and CR-mimetics, highlighting their application in the laboratory routine, and their translation to human research.
    Keywords:  aging; calorie restriction; calorie restriction mimetic; experimental models; health-span; life-span; resveratrol
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072346
  19. Protein Cell. 2021 Aug 09.
    Nuclear cGAS: sequestration and beyond.
    Juli Bai, Feng Liu.
      The cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) has been identified as a cytosolic double stranded DNA sensor that plays a pivotal role in the type I interferon and inflammation responses via the STING-dependent signaling pathway. In the past several years, a growing body of evidence has revealed that cGAS is also localized in the nucleus where it is associated with distinct nuclear substructures such as nucleosomes, DNA replication forks, the double-stranded breaks, and centromeres, suggesting that cGAS may have other functions in addition to its role in DNA sensing. However, while the innate immune function of cGAS is well established, the non-canonical nuclear function of cGAS remains poorly understood. Here, we review our current understanding of the complex nature of nuclear cGAS and point to open questions on the novel roles and the mechanisms of action of this protein as a key regulator of cell nuclear function, beyond its well-established role in dsDNA sensing and innate immune response.
    Keywords:  DNA damage repair; STING; cGAS; innate immunity; micronuclei; nuclear translocation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-021-00869-0
  20. JHEP Rep. 2021 Oct;3(5): 100324
    The role of cGAS-STING signalling in liver diseases.
    Ruihan Chen, Jiamin Du, Hong Zhu, Qi Ling.
      The recently identified novel cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) activates the downstream adaptor protein stimulator of interferon genes (STING) by catalysing the synthesis of cyclic GMP-AMP. This in turn initiates an innate immune response through the release of various cytokines, including type I interferon. Foreign DNA (microbial infection) or endogenous DNA (nuclear or mitochondrial leakage) can serve as cGAS ligands and lead to the activation of cGAS-STING signalling. Therefore, the cGAS-STING pathway plays essential roles in infectious diseases, sterile inflammation, tumours, and autoimmune diseases. In addition, cGAS-STING signalling affects the progression of liver inflammation through other mechanisms, such as autophagy and metabolism. In this review, we summarise recent advances in our understanding of the role of cGAS-STING signalling in the innate immune modulation of different liver diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting the cGAS-STING pathway in the treatment of liver diseases.
    Keywords:  AIM2, absent in melanoma 2; ALD, alcohol-related liver disease; APCs, antigen-presenting cells; CDNs, cyclic dinucleotides; DAMPs, damage-associated molecular patterns; DCs, dendritic cells; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; GVHD, graft-versus-host disease; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HSCs, hepatic stellate cells; IFN-I, type I interferon; IL, interleukin; IRF3, interferon regulatory factor 3; IRI, ischaemia refusion injury; KCs, Kupffer cells; LSECs, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells; MHC, major histocompatibility complex; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; NK cells, natural killer cells; NPCs, non-parenchymal cells; PAMPs, pathogen-associated molecular patterns; PD-1, programmed cell death protein-1; PD-L1, programmed cell death protein ligand-1; PPRs, pattern recognition receptors; SAVI, STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy; STING, stimulator of interferon genes; TBK1, TANK-binding kinase 1; TGF-β1, transforming growth factor-β1; TLR, Toll-like receptor; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; XRCC, X-ray repair cross complementing; aHSCT, allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation; cGAMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate; cGAS, cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase; cGAS-STING signalling; dsDNA, double-strand DNA; hepatocellular carcinoma; innate immune response; liver injury; mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin; mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; siRNA, small interfering RNA; ssRNA, single-stranded RNA; viral hepatitis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhepr.2021.100324
  21. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Aug 07. e019948
    Effects of Aging on Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Transcriptional Changes in Pathways of Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Clearance.
    Farhan Rizvi, Claudia C Preston, Larisa Emelyanova, Mohammed Yousufuddin, Maria Viqar, Omar Dakwar, Gracious R Ross, Randolph S Faustino, Ekhson L Holmuhamedov, Arshad Jahangir.
      Background Age-related heart diseases are significant contributors to increased morbidity and mortality. Emerging evidence indicates that mitochondria within cardiomyocytes contribute to age-related increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation that plays an essential role in aging-associated cardiac diseases. Methods and Results The present study investigated differences between ROS production in cardiomyocytes isolated from adult (6 months) and aged (24 months) Fischer 344 rats, and in cardiac tissue of adult (18-65 years) and elderly (>65 years) patients with preserved cardiac function. Superoxide dismutase inhibitable ferricytochrome c reduction assay (1.32±0.63 versus 0.76±0.31 nMol/mg per minute; P=0.001) superoxide and H2O2 production, measured as dichlorofluorescein diacetate fluorescence (1646±428 versus 699±329, P=0.04), were significantly higher in the aged versus adult cardiomyocytes. Similarity in age-related alteration between rats and humans was identified in mitochondrial-electron transport chain-complex-I-associated increased oxidative-stress by MitoSOX fluorescence (53.66±18.58 versus 22.81±12.60; P=0.03) and in 4-HNE adduct levels (187.54±54.8 versus 47.83±16.7 ng/mg protein, P=0.0063), indicative of increased peroxidation in the elderly. These differences correlated with changes in functional enrichment of genes regulating ROS homeostasis pathways in aged human and rat hearts. Functional merged collective network and pathway enrichment analysis revealed common genes prioritized in human and rat aging-associated networks that underlay enriched functional terms of mitochondrial complex I and common pathways in the aging human and rat heart. Conclusions Aging sensitizes mitochondrial and extramitochondrial mechanisms of ROS buildup within the heart. Network analysis of the transcriptome highlights the critical elements involved with aging-related ROS homeostasis pathways common in rat and human hearts as targets.
    Keywords:  cardiac aging; electron transport chain; gene expression; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.120.019948
  22. Nucleic Acids Res. 2021 Aug 13. pii: gkab689. [Epub ahead of print]
    Cooperative DNA binding mediated by KicGAS/ORF52 oligomerization allows inhibition of DNA-induced phase separation and activation of cGAS.
    Debipreeta Bhowmik, Mingjian Du, Yuan Tian, Siming Ma, Jianjun Wu, Zhijian Chen, Qian Yin, Fanxiu Zhu.
      Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a key DNA sensor that detects aberrant cytosolic DNA arising from pathogen invasions or genotoxic stresses. Upon binding to DNA, cGAS is activated and catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), which induces potent antimicrobial and antitumor responses. Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human DNA tumor virus that causes Kaposi sarcoma and several other malignancies. We previously reported that KSHV inhibitor of cGAS (KicGAS) encoded by ORF52, inhibits cGAS enzymatic activity, but the underlying mechanisms remained unclear. To define the inhibitory mechanisms, here we performed in-depth biochemical and functional characterizations of KicGAS, and mapped its functional domains. We found KicGAS self-oligomerizes and binds to double stranded DNA cooperatively. This self-oligomerization is essential for its DNA binding and cGAS inhibition. Interestingly, KicGAS forms liquid droplets upon binding to DNA, which requires collective multivalent interactions with DNA mediated by both structured and disordered domains coordinated through the self-oligomerization of KicGAS. We also observed that KicGAS inhibits the DNA-induced phase separation and activation of cGAS. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which DNA viruses target the host protein phase separation for suppression of the host sensing of viral nucleic acids.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkab689
  23. Aging (Albany NY). 2021 Aug 12. 13(undefined):
    Physical exercise prevents age-related heart dysfunction induced by high-salt intake and heart salt-specific overexpression in Drosophila.
    Deng-Tai Wen, Lan Zheng, Kai Lu, Wen-Qi Hou.
      A long-term high-salt intake (HSI) seems to accelerate cardiac aging and age-related diseases, but the molecular mechanism is still not entirely clear. Exercise is an effective way to delay cardiac aging. However, it remains unclear whether long-term exercise (LTE) can protect heart from aging induced by high-salt stress. In this study, heart CG2196(salt) specific overexpression (HSSO) and RNAi (HSSR) was constructed by using the UAS/hand-Gal4 system in Drosophila. Flies were given exercise and a high-salt diet intervention from 1 to 5 weeks of age. Results showed that HSSR and LTE remarkably prevented heart from accelerated age-related defects caused by HSI and HSSO, and these defects included a marked increase in heart period, arrhythmia index, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, salt expression, and dTOR expression, and a marked decrease in fractional shortening, SOD activity level, dFOXO expression, PGC-1α expression, and the number of mitochondria and myofibrils. The combination of HSSR and LTE could better protect the aging heart from the damage of HSI. Therefore, current evidences suggested that LTE resisted HSI-induced heart presenility via blocking CG2196(salt)/TOR/oxidative stress and activating dFOXO/PGC-1α. LTE also reversed heart presenility induced by cardiac-salt overexpression via activating dFOXO/PGC-1α and blocking TOR/oxidative stress.
    Keywords:  heart aging; oxidative stress; physical exercise; salt stress
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203364
  24. Aging Cell. 2021 Aug 07. e13451
    MeCP2 prevents age-associated cognitive decline via restoring synaptic plasticity in a senescence-accelerated mouse model.
    Jin-Lan Huang, Fan Zhang, Min Su, Jiaxin Li, Wen Yi, Li-Xiang Hou, Si-Man Yang, Jin-Yuan Liu, Hao-An Zhang, Tengfei Ma, Deng-Pan Wu.
      Age-related cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with the deficits of synaptic plasticity. Therefore, exploring promising targets to enhance synaptic plasticity in neurodegenerative disorders is crucial. It has been demonstrated that methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) plays a vital role in neuronal development and MeCP2 malfunction causes various neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the role of MeCP2 in neurodegenerative diseases has been less reported. In the study, we found that MeCP2 expression in the hippocampus was reduced in the hippocampus of senescence-accelerated mice P8 (SAMP8) mice. Overexpression of hippocampal MeCP2 could elevate synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in SAMP8 mice, while knockdown of MeCP2 impaired synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in senescence accelerated-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice. MeCP2-mediated regulation of synaptic plasticity may be associated with CREB1 pathway. These results suggest that MeCP2 plays a vital role in age-related cognitive decline by regulating synaptic plasticity and indicate that MeCP2 may be promising targets for the treatment of age-related cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases.
    Keywords:  MeCP2; neurodegenerative disease; synaptic plasticity
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13451
  25. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021 ;8 715903
    The Innate Immune cGAS-STING-Pathway in Cardiovascular Diseases - A Mini Review.
    Lavinia Rech, Peter P Rainer.
      Inflammation plays a central role in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). One pathway under investigation is the innate immune DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and its downstream receptor stimulator of interferon genes (STING). cGAS-STING upregulates type I interferons in response to pathogens. Recent studies show that also self-DNA may activate cGAS-STING, for instance, DNA released from nuclei or mitochondria during obesity or myocardial infarction. Here, we focus on emerging evidence describing the interaction of cGAS-STING with cardiovascular risk factors and disease. We also touch on translational therapeutic opportunities and potential further investigations.
    Keywords:  DAMPs; STING; cGAS; cardiovascular; inflammation; interferon
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.715903
  26. J Physiol. 2021 Aug 13.
    Sexual dimorphism in liver cell cycle and senescence signaling pathways in young and old rats.
    Consuelo Lomas-Soria, Laura A Cox, Peter W Nathanielsz, Elena Zambrano.
      KEY POINTS: In rats RNA-Seq analysis showed sexual dimorphism in gene expression across the life-course between 110 and 650 days of life. Fourteen times more liver transcriptome and six times more pathway changes were observed in males compared with females. We observed significant changes in several signaling pathways during ageing. In this study, we focussed our bioinformatic analysis to changes in genes and protein product related to cell cycle and cellular senescence pathways. Males showed decreased protein product and expression of the key genes CDK2, CDK4 responsible for cell cycle progression while females increased protein product and expression of p21 and p15 key genes responsible for cell cycle arrest. We conclude that normative rat hepatic ageing involves changes in cellular pathways that control the cell cycle arrest but through changes in different genes in males and females. These findings identify mechanisms that underlie the well-established sexual dimorphism in ageing.ABSTRACT: At the molecular level, cellular ageing involves changes in multiple gene pathways. Cellular senescence is both an important initiator and a consequence of natural ageing. Senescence results in changes in multiple cellular mechanisms that result in a natural decrease in cell cycle activity. Liver senescence changes impair hepatic function. Given the well-established sexual dimorphism in ageing, we hypothesized that the natural hepatic ageing process is driven by sex-dependent gene mechanisms. We studied our well-characterized normal, chow-fed rat ageing model, lifespan ∼850 days, in which we have reported ageing of metabolism, reproduction and endocrine function. We performed liver RNA-seq on males and females at 110 and 650 days (d) to determine changes in the cell cycle and cellular senescence signaling pathways. We found that natural liver ageing shows sexual dimorphism in these pathways. RNA-seq revealed more male (3967) than female (283) differentially expressed genes (DEG) between 110d and 650d. Cell cycle pathway signaling changes in males showed decreased protein and expression of key genes (CDK2, CDK4, Cycd and PCNA) and increased p57 at 650d vs. 110d. In females, protein and gene expression of cell growth regulators, e.g. p15 and p21, that inhibit cell cycle G1 progression were increased. The cell senescence pathway also showed sexual dimorphism. Igfbp3, mTOR and p62 gene and protein decreased in males while Tgfb3 increased in females. Understanding the involvement of cell cycling and cellular senescence pathways in natural ageing will advance evaluation of mechanisms associated with altered ageing and frailty trajectories. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
    Keywords:  RNA-seq; liver ageing; sex differences
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1113/JP281822
  27. Arch Microbiol. 2021 Aug 12.
    Long-term survival of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during conditional senescence.
    Djihane Yushrina Damoo, Dion G Durnford.
      Chlamydomonas reinhardtii undergoes conditional senescence when grown in batch culture due to nutrient limitation. Here, we explored plastid and photo-physiological adaptations in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during a long-term ageing experiment by methodically sampling them over 22 weeks. Following exponential growth, Chlamydomonas entered an extended declining growth phase where cells continued to divide, although at a lower rate. Ultimately, this ongoing division was fueled by the recycling of macromolecules that was obvious in the rapidly declining protein and chlorophyll content in the cell during this phase. This process was sufficient to maintain a high level of cell viability as the culture entered stationary phase. Beyond that the cell viability starts to plummet. During the turnover of macromolecules after exponential growth that saw RuBisCO levels drop, the LHCII antenna was relatively stable. This, along with the upregulation of the light stress-related proteins (LHCSR), contributes to an efficient energy dissipation mechanism to protect the ageing cells from photooxidative stress during the senescence process. Ultimately, viability dropped to about 7% at 22 weeks in a batch culture. We anticipate that this research will help further understand the various acclimation strategies carried out by Chlamydomonas to maximize survival under conditional senescence.
    Keywords:  Ageing; Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; Conditional senescence; Longevity; Photoprotection
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-021-02508-y
  28. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 ;9 698442
    Long Non-coding RNA Signatures Associated With Liver Aging in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 Model.
    Shuai Zhang, Juanjuan Duan, Yu Du, Jinlu Xie, Haijing Zhang, Changyu Li, Wensheng Zhang.
      The liver is sensitive to aging because the risk of hepatopathy, including fatty liver, hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, increases dramatically with age. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are >200 nucleotides long and affect many pathological and physiological processes. A potential link was recently discovered between lncRNAs and liver aging; however, comprehensive and systematic research on this topic is still limited. In this study, the mouse liver genome-wide lncRNA profiles of 8-month-old SAMP8 and SAMR1 models were explored through deep RNA sequencing. A total of 605,801,688 clean reads were generated. Among the 2,182 identified lncRNAs, 28 were differentially expressed between SAMP8 and SAMR1 mice. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) surveys showed that these substantially dysregulated lncRNAs participated in liver aging from different aspects, such as lipid catabolic (GO: 0016042) and metabolic pathways. Further assessment was conducted on lncRNAs that are most likely to be involved in liver aging and related diseases, such as LNC_000027, LNC_000204E, NSMUST00000144661.1, and ENSMUST00000181906.1 acted on Ces1g. This study provided the first comprehensive dissection of lncRNA landscape in SAMP8 mouse liver. These lncRNAs could be exploited as potential targets for the molecular-based diagnosis and therapy of age-related liver diseases.
    Keywords:  RNA sequencing; liver aging; long non-coding RNA; senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8; senescence-accelerated mouse resistant 1
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.698442
  29. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2021 Jun 14. pii: S2211-0348(21)00351-5. [Epub ahead of print]54 103084
    What telomeres teach us about MS.
    Annalise E Miner, Jennifer S Graves.
      While the precise mechanisms driving progressive forms of MS are not fully understood, patient age has clear impact on disease phenotype. The very young with MS have high relapse rates and virtually no progressive disease, whereas older patients tend to experience more rapid disability accumulation with few relapses. Defining a patient's biological age may offer more precision in determining the role of aging processes in MS phenotype and pathophysiology than just working with an individual's birthdate. The most well recognized measurement of an individual's "biological clock" is telomere length (TL). While TL may differ across tissue types in an individual, most cells TL correlate well with leukocyte TL (LTL), which is the most common biomarker used for aging. LTL has been associated with risk for aging related diseases and most recently with higher levels of disability and brain atrophy in people living with MS. LTL explains 15% of the overall association of chronological age with MS disability level. While LTL may be used just as a biomarker of overall somatic aging processes, triggering of the DNA damage response by telomere attrition leads to senescence pathways that are likely highly relevant to a chronic autoimmune disease. Considering reproductive aging factors, particularly ovarian aging in women, which correlates with LTL and oocyte telomere length, may complement measurements of somatic aging in understanding MS progression. The key to stopping non-relapse related progression in MS might lie in targeting pathways related to biological aging effects on the immune and nervous systems.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2021.103084
  30. Geroscience. 2021 Aug 09.
    The San Diego Nathan Shock Center: tackling the heterogeneity of aging.
    Gerald S Shadel, Peter D Adams, W Travis Berggren, Jolene K Diedrich, Kenneth E Diffenderfer, Fred H Gage, Nasun Hah, Malene Hansen, Martin W Hetzer, Anthony J A Molina, Uri Manor, Kurt Marek, David D O'Keefe, Antonio F M Pinto, Alessandra Sacco, Tatyana O Sharpee, Maxim N Shokriev, Stefania Zambetti.
      Understanding basic mechanisms of aging holds great promise for developing interventions that prevent or delay many age-related declines and diseases simultaneously to increase human healthspan. However, a major confounding factor in aging research is the heterogeneity of the aging process itself. At the organismal level, it is clear that chronological age does not always predict biological age or susceptibility to frailty or pathology. While genetics and environment are major factors driving variable rates of aging, additional complexity arises because different organs, tissues, and cell types are intrinsically heterogeneous and exhibit different aging trajectories normally or in response to the stresses of the aging process (e.g., damage accumulation). Tackling the heterogeneity of aging requires new and specialized tools (e.g., single-cell analyses, mass spectrometry-based approaches, and advanced imaging) to identify novel signatures of aging across scales. Cutting-edge computational approaches are then needed to integrate these disparate datasets and elucidate network interactions between known aging hallmarks. There is also a need for improved, human cell-based models of aging to ensure that basic research findings are relevant to human aging and healthspan interventions. The San Diego Nathan Shock Center (SD-NSC) provides access to cutting-edge scientific resources to facilitate the study of the heterogeneity of aging in general and to promote the use of novel human cell models of aging. The center also has a robust Research Development Core that funds pilot projects on the heterogeneity of aging and organizes innovative training activities, including workshops and a personalized mentoring program, to help investigators new to the aging field succeed. Finally, the SD-NSC participates in outreach activities to educate the general community about the importance of aging research and promote the need for basic biology of aging research in particular.
    Keywords:  Aging; Heterogeneity; Human cohort; Machine learning; Organoids; Single-cell analysis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-021-00426-x
  31. Neural Regen Res. 2022 Mar;17(3): 503-507
    Promise of metformin for preventing age-related cognitive dysfunction.
    Leelavathi N Madhu, Maheedhar Kodali, Ashok K Shetty.
      The expanded lifespan of people, while a positive advance, has also amplified the prevalence of age-related disorders, which include mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, competent therapies that could improve the healthspan of people have great significance. Some of the dietary and pharmacological approaches that augment the lifespan could also preserve improved cognitive function in old age. Metformin, a drug widely used for treating diabetes, is one such candidate that could alleviate age-related cognitive dysfunction. However, the possible use of metformin to alleviate age-related cognitive dysfunction has met with conflicting results in human and animal studies. While most clinical studies have suggested the promise of metformin to maintain better cognitive function and reduce the risk for developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease in aged diabetic people, its efficacy in the nondiabetic population is still unclear. Moreover, a previous animal model study implied that metformin could adversely affect cognitive function in the aged. However, a recent animal study using multiple behavioral tests has reported that metformin treatment in late middle age improved cognitive function in old age. The study also revealed that cognition-enhancing effects of metformin in aged animals were associated with the activation of the energy regulator adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, diminished neuroinflammation, inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, and augmented autophagy in the hippocampus. The proficiency of metformin to facilitate these favorable modifications in the aged hippocampus likely underlies its positive effect on cognitive function. Nonetheless, additional studies probing the outcomes of different doses and durations of metformin treatment at specific windows in the middle and old age across sex in nondiabetic and non-obese prototypes are required to substantiate the promise of metformin to maintain better cognitive function in old age.
    Keywords:  activated microglia; aging; autophagy; cognitive dysfunction; mTOR signaling; memory; metformin; neuroinflammation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.320971
  32. Cell Stem Cell. 2021 Aug 06. pii: S1934-5909(21)00294-0. [Epub ahead of print]
    Hsf1 promotes hematopoietic stem cell fitness and proteostasis in response to ex vivo culture stress and aging.
    Miriama Kruta, Mary Jean Sunshine, Bernadette A Chua, Yunpeng Fu, Ashu Chawla, Christopher H Dillingham, Lorena Hidalgo San Jose, Bijou De Jong, Fanny J Zhou, Robert A J Signer.
      Maintaining proteostasis is key to resisting stress and promoting healthy aging. Proteostasis is necessary to preserve stem cell function, but little is known about the mechanisms that regulate proteostasis during stress in stem cells, and whether disruptions of proteostasis contribute to stem cell aging is largely unexplored. We determined that ex-vivo-cultured mouse and human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) rapidly increase protein synthesis. This challenge to HSC proteostasis was associated with nuclear accumulation of Hsf1, and deletion of Hsf1 impaired HSC maintenance ex vivo. Strikingly, supplementing cultures with small molecules that enhance Hsf1 activation partially suppressed protein synthesis, rebalanced proteostasis, and supported retention of HSC serial reconstituting activity. Although Hsf1 was dispensable for young adult HSCs in vivo, Hsf1 deficiency increased protein synthesis and impaired the reconstituting activity of middle-aged HSCs. Hsf1 thus promotes proteostasis and the regenerative activity of HSCs in response to culture stress and aging.
    Keywords:  Hsf1; aging; heat shock response; hematopoiesis; hematopoietic stem cell; protein synthesis; proteostasis; stem cell; stress; translation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2021.07.009
  33. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2021 Aug 04. pii: S0006-291X(21)01133-5. [Epub ahead of print]572 112-117
    A candidate gene of Alzheimer diseases was mutated in senescence-accelerated mouse prone (SAMP) 8 mice.
    Maruf Mohammad Akbor, Juhyon Kim, Mai Nomura, Juno Sugioka, Nobuyuki Kurosawa, Masaharu Isobe.
      The senescence-accelerated mouse prone (SAMP) 8 strain exhibits age-related learning and memory deficits (LMD) at 2 months of age. We have found strong association of chromosome 12 locus with learning memory deficit (LMD) phenotype in SAMP8 strain. In the course of searching candidate gene, here we identified solute carrier family 24 sodium/potassium/calcium exchanger member 4 (Slc24a4) in SAMP8 chromosome 12 LMD possessing one single nucleotide polymorphism causing amino acid replacement of Threonine at 413 position with Methionine. Since SLC24A4 has been postulated as a candidate of late onset Alzheimer's diseases (LOAD), we further analyze the functional importance of this polymorphism. By expressing Slc24a4 protein in HEK293 cells, here we showed polymorphic SAMP8 type Slc24a4-T413 M causing significant loss of calcium ion (Ca2+) transporter activity in cells compared with that of wild type mouse (Slc24a4-WT). However, no study yet shows any functional association of human SLC24A4 polymorphism with the onset of LOAD pathogenesis. Thus, our present finding may further help to clarify the importance of this ion exchanger with age related cognitive dysfunction.
    Keywords:  Alzheimer diseases; Ca(2+) ion dysregulation; Chromosome 12; Loss of transporter activity; SAMP8; Slc24a4 polymorphism
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.07.095
  34. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Aug 17. pii: e2023216118. [Epub ahead of print]118(33):
    Effects of sex and aging on the immune cell landscape as assessed by single-cell transcriptomic analysis.
    Zhaohao Huang, Binyao Chen, Xiuxing Liu, He Li, Lihui Xie, Yuehan Gao, Runping Duan, Zhaohuai Li, Jian Zhang, Yingfeng Zheng, Wenru Su.
      Sex and aging influence the human immune system, resulting in disparate responses to infection, autoimmunity, and cancer. However, the impact of sex and aging on the immune system is not yet fully elucidated. Using small conditional RNA sequencing, we found that females had a lower percentage of natural killer (NK) cells and a higher percentage of plasma cells in peripheral blood compared with males. Bioinformatics revealed that young females exhibited an overrepresentation of pathways that relate to T and B cell activation. Moreover, cell-cell communication analysis revealed evidence of increased activity of the BAFF/APRIL systems in females. Notably, aging increased the percentage of monocytes and reduced the percentage of naïve T cells in the blood and the number of differentially expressed genes between the sexes. Aged males expressed higher levels of inflammatory genes. Collectively, the results suggest that females have more plasma cells in the circulation and a stronger BAFF/APRIL system, which is consistent with a stronger adaptive immune response. In contrast, males have a higher percentage of NK cells in blood and a higher expression of certain proinflammatory genes. Overall, this work expands our knowledge of sex differences in the immune system in humans.
    Keywords:  aging; cell–cell communication; immune responses; sex; single-cell sequencing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023216118
  35. Phytother Res. 2021 Aug 09.
    Neuroprotective effects of salidroside on ageing hippocampal neurons and naturally ageing mice via the PI3K/Akt/TERT pathway.
    Lin Zhu, Zhenchao Liu, Yuqian Ren, Xiaolin Wu, Yingjuan Liu, Tingting Wang, Yizhao Li, Yusheng Cong, Yunliang Guo.
      Studies have found that salidroside, isolated from Rhodiola rosea L, has various pharmacological activities, but there have been no studies on the effects of salidroside on brain hippocampal senescence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanistic role of salidroside in hippocampal neuron senescence and injury. In this study, long-term cultured primary rat hippocampal neurons and naturally aged C57 mice were treated with salidroside. The results showed that salidroside increased the viability and MAP2 expression, reduced β-galactosidase (β-gal) levels of rat primary hippocampal neurons. Salidroside also improved cognition dysfunction in ageing mice and alleviated neuronal degeneration in the ageing mice CA1 region. Moreover, salidroside decreased the levels of oxidative stress and p21, p16 protein expressions of hippocampal neurons and ageing mice. Salidroside promoted telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) protein expression via the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. In conclusion, our findings suggest that salidroside has the potential to be used as a therapeutic strategy for anti-ageing and ageing-related disease treatment.
    Keywords:  hippocampal neuron; mice; salidroside; senescence; telomerase reverse transcriptase
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7235
  36. Front Pharmacol. 2021 ;12 699623
    Crosstalk Between Dysfunctional Mitochondria and Inflammation in Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration.
    Assraa Hassan Jassim, Denise M Inman, Claire H Mitchell.
      Mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive inflammatory responses are both sufficient to induce pathology in age-dependent neurodegenerations. However, emerging evidence indicates crosstalk between damaged mitochondrial and inflammatory signaling can exacerbate issues in chronic neurodegenerations. This review discusses evidence for the interaction between mitochondrial damage and inflammation, with a focus on glaucomatous neurodegeneration, and proposes that positive feedback resulting from this crosstalk drives pathology. Mitochondrial dysfunction exacerbates inflammatory signaling in multiple ways. Damaged mitochondrial DNA is a damage-associated molecular pattern, which activates the NLRP3 inflammasome; priming and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and the resulting liberation of IL-1β and IL-18 via the gasdermin D pore, is a major pathway to enhance inflammatory responses. The rise in reactive oxygen species induced by mitochondrial damage also activates inflammatory pathways, while blockage of Complex enzymes is sufficient to increase inflammatory signaling. Impaired mitophagy contributes to inflammation as the inability to turnover mitochondria in a timely manner increases levels of ROS and damaged mtDNA, with the latter likely to stimulate the cGAS-STING pathway to increase interferon signaling. Mitochondrial associated ER membrane contacts and the mitochondria-associated adaptor molecule MAVS can activate NLRP3 inflammasome signaling. In addition to dysfunctional mitochondria increasing inflammation, the corollary also occurs, with inflammation reducing mitochondrial function and ATP production; the resulting downward spiral accelerates degeneration. Evidence from several preclinical models including the DBA/2J mouse, microbead injection and transient elevation of IOP, in addition to patient data, implicates both mitochondrial damage and inflammation in glaucomatous neurodegeneration. The pressure-dependent hypoxia and the resulting metabolic vulnerability is associated with mitochondrial damage and IL-1β release. Links between mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation can occur in retinal ganglion cells, microglia cells and astrocytes. In summary, crosstalk between damaged mitochondria and increased inflammatory signaling enhances pathology in glaucomatous neurodegeneration, with implications for other complex age-dependent neurodegenerations like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
    Keywords:  NLRP3 infammasome; astrocyte; glaucoma; metabolic vulnerability; microglia; mitophagy; retinal ganglion cells
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.699623
  37. Nat Aging. 2021 Mar;1(3): 243-254
    Healthy aging and the blood-brain barrier.
    William A Banks, May J Reed, Aric F Logsdon, Elizabeth M Rhea, Michelle A Erickson.
      The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the central nervous system (CNS) from unregulated exposure to the blood and its contents. The BBB also controls the blood-to-brain and brain-to-blood permeation of many substances, resulting in nourishment of the CNS, its homeostatic regulation and communication between the CNS and peripheral tissues. The cells forming the BBB communicate with cells of the brain and in the periphery. This highly regulated interface changes with healthy aging. Here, we review those changes, starting with morphology and disruption. Transporter changes include those for amyloid beta peptide, glucose and drugs. Brain fluid dynamics, pericyte health and basement membrane and glycocalyx compositions are all altered with healthy aging. Carrying the ApoE4 allele leads to an acceleration of most of the BBB's age-related changes. We discuss how alterations in the BBB that occur with healthy aging reflect adaptation to the postreproductive phase of life and may affect vulnerability to age-associated diseases.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00043-5
  38. Aging Cell. 2021 Aug 08. e13448
    Disrupted macrophage metabolic reprogramming in aged soleus muscle during early recovery following disuse atrophy.
    Dennis K Fix, H Atakan Ekiz, Jonathan J Petrocelli, Alec M Mckenzie, Ziad S Mahmassani, Ryan M O'Connell, Micah J Drummond.
      Aged skeletal muscle is characterized by poor muscle recovery following disuse coinciding with an impaired muscle pro-inflammatory macrophage response. Macrophage inflammatory status is regulated by its metabolic state, but little is understood of macrophage metabolism and its relation to macrophage inflammation in the context of muscle recovery and aging. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to thoroughly characterize macrophage metabolism and inflammation in aged muscle during early recovery following disuse atrophy using single cell transcriptomics and functional assays. Young (4-5 months) and old (20-22 months) male C57BL/6 mice underwent 14 days of hindlimb unloading followed by 4 days of ambulatory recovery. CD45+ cells were isolated from solei muscles and analyzed using 10x Genomics single cell RNA sequencing. We found that aged pro-inflammatory macrophage clusters were characterized with an impaired inflammatory and glycolytic transcriptome, and this dysregulation was accompanied by a suppression of HIF-1α and its immediate downstream target, Glut1. As a follow-up, bone marrow-derived macrophages were isolated from a separate cohort of young and old mice at 4-d recovery and were polarized to a pro-inflammatory phenotype and used for glycolysis stress test, phagocytosis activity assay, and targeted GC-MS metabolomics. Aged bone marrow-derived pro-inflammatory macrophages were characterized with impaired glycolysis and phagocytosis function, decreased succinate and an accumulation of glycolytic metabolic intermediates overall supporting reduced glycolytic flux and macrophage function. Our results indicate that the metabolic reprograming and function of aged skeletal muscle pro-inflammatory macrophages are dysfunctional during early recovery from disuse atrophy possibly attributing to attenuated regrowth.
    Keywords:  glycolysis; inflammation; metabolomics; scRNASeq; single cell transcriptomics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13448
  39. Cancer Sci. 2021 Aug 11.
    WEE1i and ATRi trigger STING-dependent immune response and enhance tumor treatment efficacy through PD-L1 blockade.
    Xue Wu, Xiaoyan Kang, Xiaoxiao Zhang, Wan Xie, Yue Su, Xiaoyu Liu, Lili Guo, Ensong Guo, Fuxia Li, Dianxing Hu, Xu Qin, Yu Fu, Wenju Peng, Jiedong Jia, Changyu Wang.
      WEE1 plays an important role in the regulation of cell cycle G2/M checkpoints and DNA damage response (DDR). Inhibition of WEE1 can increase the instability of the genome and show notable anti-tumor effects in some solid tumors. However, they show certain limitations for multiple cancer cells from different lineages. Therefore, we consider the use of synthetic lethal interactions to enhance the therapeutic effect. Our experiments proved that WEE1 inhibitor (WEE1i) can activate the ATR pathway, and further found that blockage of ATR dramatically sensitized the WEE1i induced cell death. The tumor-selective synthetic lethality between bioavailable WEE1 and ATR inhibitors led to tumor remission in vivo. Mechanistically, the combination promoted the accumulation of cytosolic double-strand DNA, which subsequently activates the STING pathway and induces the production of type I interferon and CD8+ T cells, thereby inducing anti-tumor immunity. Furthermore, our study found that immune checkpoint PD-L1 is up-regulated by the combination therapy, and blocking PD-L1 further enhances the effect of the combination therapy. In summary, as an immunomodulator, the combination of WEE1i with ATRi and immune checkpoint blockers provides new ideas for cancer treatment.
    Keywords:  ATR inhibitor; Stimulator of interferon genes; WEE1 inhibitor; anti-PD-L1; cancer immunotherapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.15108
  40. Nature. 2021 Aug 11.
    Aged skeletal stem cells generate an inflammatory degenerative niche.
    Thomas H Ambrosi, Owen Marecic, Adrian McArdle, Rahul Sinha, Gunsagar S Gulati, Xinming Tong, Yuting Wang, Holly M Steininger, Malachia Y Hoover, Lauren S Koepke, Matthew P Murphy, Jan Sokol, Eun Young Seo, Ruth Tevlin, Michael Lopez, Rachel E Brewer, Shamik Mascharak, Laura Lu, Oyinkansola Ajanaku, Stephanie D Conley, Jun Seita, Maurizio Morri, Norma F Neff, Debashis Sahoo, Fan Yang, Irving L Weissman, Michael T Longaker, Charles K F Chan.
      Loss of skeletal integrity during ageing and disease is associated with an imbalance in the opposing actions of osteoblasts and osteoclasts1. Here we show that intrinsic ageing of skeletal stem cells (SSCs)2 in mice alters signalling in the bone marrow niche and skews the differentiation of bone and blood lineages, leading to fragile bones that regenerate poorly. Functionally, aged SSCs have a decreased bone- and cartilage-forming potential but produce more stromal lineages that express high levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-resorptive cytokines. Single-cell RNA-sequencing studies link the functional loss to a diminished transcriptomic diversity of SSCs in aged mice, which thereby contributes to the transformation of the bone marrow niche. Exposure to a youthful circulation through heterochronic parabiosis or systemic reconstitution with young haematopoietic stem cells did not reverse the diminished osteochondrogenic activity of aged SSCs, or improve bone mass or skeletal healing parameters in aged mice. Conversely, the aged SSC lineage promoted osteoclastic activity and myeloid skewing by haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, suggesting that the ageing of SSCs is a driver of haematopoietic ageing. Deficient bone regeneration in aged mice could only be returned to youthful levels by applying a combinatorial treatment of BMP2 and a CSF1 antagonist locally to fractures, which reactivated aged SSCs and simultaneously ablated the inflammatory, pro-osteoclastic milieu. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into the complex, multifactorial mechanisms that underlie skeletal ageing and offer prospects for rejuvenating the aged skeletal system.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03795-7
  41. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021 Aug 12. pii: glab212. [Epub ahead of print]
    A metabolomic aging clock using human CSF.
    Nathan Hwangbo, Xinyu Zhang, Daniel Raftery, Haiwei Gu, Shu-Ching Hu, Thomas J Montine, Joseph F Quinn, Kathryn A Chung, Amie L Hiller, Dongfang Wang, Qiang Fei, Lisa Bettcher, Cyrus P Zabetian, Elaine Peskind, Gail Li, Daniel E L Promislow, Alexander Franks.
      Quantifying the physiology of aging is essential for improving our understanding of age-related disease and the heterogeneity of healthy aging. Recent studies have shown that in regression models using "-omic" platforms to predict chronological age, residual variation in predicted age is correlated with health outcomes, and suggest that these "omic clocks" provide measures of biological age. This paper presents predictive models for age using metabolomic profiles of cerebrospinal fluid from healthy human subjects, and finds that metabolite and lipid data are generally able to predict chronological age within 10 years. We use these models to predict the age of a cohort of subjects with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and find an increase in prediction error, potentially indicating that the relationship between the metabolome and chronological age differs with these diseases. However, evidence is not found to support the hypothesis that our models will consistently over-predict the age of these subjects. In our analysis of control subjects, we find the carnitine shuttle, sucrose, biopterin, vitamin E metabolism, tryptophan, and tyrosine to be the most associated with age. We showcase the potential usefulness of age prediction models in a small dataset (n = 85), and discuss techniques for drift correction, missing data imputation, and regularized regression, which can be used to help mitigate the statistical challenges that commonly arise in this setting. To our knowledge, this work presents the first multivariate predictive metabolomic and lipidomic models for age using mass spectrometry analysis of cerebrospinal fluid.
    Keywords:  aging clock; biomarker; cerebrospinal fluid; metabolomics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab212
  42. Aging Cell. 2021 Aug 07. e13443
    The antagonistic pleiotropy of insulin-like growth factor 1.
    William B Zhang, Kenny Ye, Nir Barzilai, Sofiya Milman.
      While insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a well-established modulator of aging and longevity in model organisms, its role in humans has been controversial. In this study, we used the UK Biobank (n = 440,185) to resolve previous ambiguities in the relationship between serum IGF-1 levels and clinical disease. We examined prospective associations of serum IGF-1 with mortality, dementia, vascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer, finding two generalized patterns: First, IGF-1 interacts with age to modify risk in a manner consistent with antagonistic pleiotropy; younger individuals with high IGF-1 are protected from disease, while older individuals with high IGF-1 are at increased risk for incident disease or death. Second, the association between IGF-1 and risk is generally U-shaped, indicating that both high and low levels of IGF-1 may be detrimental. With the exception of a more uniformly positive relationship between IGF-1 and cancer, these effects were remarkably consistent across a wide range of conditions, providing evidence for a unifying pathway that determines risk for most age-associated diseases. These data suggest that IGF-1 signaling could be harmful in older adults, who may actually benefit from the attenuation of biological growth pathways.
    Keywords:  IGF; clinical outcomes; evolution; human aging
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13443
  43. Biochem Pharmacol. 2021 Aug 05. pii: S0006-2952(21)00339-7. [Epub ahead of print] 114723
    White adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity and aging.
    Marjorie Reyes-Farias, Julia Fos-Domenech, Dolors Serra, Laura Herrero, David Sánchez-Infantes.
      Both obesity and aging are associated with the development of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Chronic low-grade inflammation of adipose tissue is one of the mechanisms implicated in the progression of these diseases. Obesity and aging trigger adipose tissue alterations that ultimately lead to a pro-inflammatory phenotype of the adipose tissue-resident immune cells. Obesity and aging also share other features such as a higher visceral vs. subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio and a decreased lifespan. Here, we review the common characteristics of obesity and aging and the alterations in white adipose tissue and resident immune cells. We focus on the adipose tissue metabolic derangements in obesity and aging such as inflammation and adipose tissue remodeling.
    Keywords:  adipose tissue; aging; immune cells; obesity
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114723
  44. Nat Rev Immunol. 2021 Aug 13.
    How the immune system shapes atherosclerosis: roles of innate and adaptive immunity.
    Payel Roy, Marco Orecchioni, Klaus Ley.
      Atherosclerosis is the root cause of many cardiovascular diseases. Extensive research in preclinical models and emerging evidence in humans have established the crucial roles of the innate and adaptive immune systems in driving atherosclerosis-associated chronic inflammation in arterial blood vessels. New techniques have highlighted the enormous heterogeneity of leukocyte subsets in the arterial wall that have pro-inflammatory or regulatory roles in atherogenesis. Understanding the homing and activation pathways of these immune cells, their disease-associated dynamics and their regulation by microbial and metabolic factors will be crucial for the development of clinical interventions for atherosclerosis, including potentially vaccination-based therapeutic strategies. Here, we review key molecular mechanisms of immune cell activation implicated in modulating atherogenesis and provide an update on the contributions of innate and adaptive immune cell subsets in atherosclerosis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-021-00584-1
  45. Nat Rev Immunol. 2021 Aug 09.
    Inflammasome activation at the crux of severe COVID-19.
    Setu M Vora, Judy Lieberman, Hao Wu.
      The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), results in life-threatening disease in a minority of patients, especially elderly people and those with co-morbidities such as obesity and diabetes. Severe disease is characterized by dysregulated cytokine release, pneumonia and acute lung injury, which can rapidly progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, multisystem failure and death. However, a mechanistic understanding of COVID-19 progression remains unclear. Here we review evidence that SARS-CoV-2 directly or indirectly activates inflammasomes, which are large multiprotein assemblies that are broadly responsive to pathogen-associated and stress-associated cellular insults, leading to secretion of the pleiotropic IL-1 family cytokines (IL-1β and IL-18), and pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death. We further discuss potential mechanisms of inflammasome activation and clinical efforts currently under way to suppress inflammation to prevent or ameliorate severe COVID-19.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-021-00588-x
  46. Heart Rhythm. 2021 Aug 06. pii: S1547-5271(21)02002-6. [Epub ahead of print]
    The impacts of frailty on heart rate variability in aging mice: roles of the autonomic nervous system and sinoatrial node.
    Tristan W Dorey, Hailey J Jansen, Motahareh Moghtadaei, K Lockhart Jamieson, Robert A Rose.
      BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) is determined by intrinsic sinoatrial node (SAN) activity and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). HRV is reduced in aging; however, aging is heterogeneous. Frailty, which can be measured using a frailty index (FI), can quantify health status in aging separately from chronological age.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impacts of age and frailty on HRV in mice.
    METHODS: Frailty was measured in aging mice between 10 and 130 weeks of age. HRV was assessed using time domain, frequency domain and Poincaré plot analyses in anesthetized mice at baseline and after ANS blockade, as well as in isolated atrial preparations.
    RESULTS: HRV was reduced in aged mice (90-130 weeks and 50-80 weeks old) compared to younger mice (10-30 weeks old); however, there was substantial variability within age groups. In contrast, HRV was strongly correlated with FI score regardless of chronological age. ANS blockade resulted in reductions in HR that were largest in 90-130 week old mice and which were correlated with FI score. HRV after ANS blockade or in isolated atrial preparations was increased in aged mice, but again showed high variability among age groups. HRV was correlated with FI score after ANS blockade and in isolated atrial preparations.
    CONCLUSION: HRV is reduced in aging mice in association with a shift in sympatho-vagal balance and increased intrinsic SAN beating variability; however, HRV is highly variable within age groups. HRV was strongly correlated with frailty, which was able to detect differences in HRV separately from chronological age.
    Keywords:  aging; autonomic nervous system; frailty; heart rate; heart rate variability; sinoatrial node
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2021.07.069
  47. Transl Neurodegener. 2021 Aug 13. 10(1): 30
    Roles of physical exercise in neurodegeneration: reversal of epigenetic clock.
    Miao Xu, JiaYi Zhu, Xian-Dong Liu, Ming-Ying Luo, Nan-Jie Xu.
      The epigenetic clock is defined by the DNA methylation (DNAm) level and has been extensively applied to distinguish biological age from chronological age. Aging-related neurodegeneration is associated with epigenetic alteration, which determines the status of diseases. In recent years, extensive research has shown that physical exercise (PE) can affect the DNAm level, implying a reversal of the epigenetic clock in neurodegeneration. PE also regulates brain plasticity, neuroinflammation, and molecular signaling cascades associated with epigenetics. This review summarizes the effects of PE on neurodegenerative diseases via both general and disease-specific DNAm mechanisms, and discusses epigenetic modifications that alleviate the pathological symptoms of these diseases. This may lead to probing of the underpinnings of neurodegenerative disorders and provide valuable therapeutic references for cognitive and motor dysfunction.
    Keywords:  DNA methylation; Motor deficits; Neural mechanism; Neurodegeneration; Physical exercise
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40035-021-00254-1
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