bims-senagi Biomed News
on Senescence and aging
Issue of 2022‒01‒09
twenty-five papers selected by
Maria Grazia Vizioli
Mayo Clinic
  1. Senescent immune cells release grancalcin to promote skeletal aging.
  2. Down-syndrome-induced senescence disrupts the nuclear architecture of neural progenitors.
  3. Pharmacological CDK4/6 inhibition reveals a p53-dependent senescent state with restricted toxicity.
  4. Aging Leukocytes and the Inflammatory Microenvironment of the Adipose Tissue.
  5. Mechanisms of RPE senescence and potential role of αB crystallin peptide as a senolytic agent in experimental AMD.
  6. Activatable senoprobes and senolytics: Novel strategies to detect and target senescent cells.
  7. Biliary Epithelial Senescence in Liver Disease: There Will Be SASP.
  8. The potential of aging rejuvenation.
  9. Targeting p21 for diabetes: Another choice of senotherapy.
  10. Meta-analysis integrated with multi-omics data analysis to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of age-related knee osteoarthritis in mice.
  11. Pharmacologic treatment with OKN-007 reduces alpha-motor neuron loss in spinal cord of aging mice.
  12. Kampo formulas alleviate aging-related emotional disturbances and neuroinflammation in male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 mice.
  13. Aging reduces liver resiliency by dysregulating Hedgehog signaling.
  14. Depletion of NIMA-related kinase Nek2 induces aberrant self-renewal and apoptosis in stem/progenitor cells of aged muscular tissues.
  15. Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Hearing: Observations From the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
  16. Phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 maintains oocyte quality via mitochondrial dynamic rearrangement during aging.
  17. Longevity, cellular senescence and the gut microbiome: lessons to be learned from crocodiles.
  18. Primary cilia and ciliary signaling pathways in aging and age-related brain disorders.
  19. The hyperfunction theory: an emerging paradigm for the biology of aging.
  20. Age-associated SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection and changes in immune response in mouse model.
  21. STING orchestrates the crosstalk between polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism and inflammatory responses.
  22. Ovarian Aging: Role of Pituitary-Ovarian Axis Hormones and ncRNAs in Regulating Ovarian Mitochondrial Activity.
  23. Intracellular NAD+ Depletion Confers a Priming Signal for NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.
  24. Mechanisms of immune aging in HIV.
  25. Dose-dependent relationship between social drinking and brain aging.
  1. Cell Metab. 2022 Jan 04. pii: S1550-4131(21)00622-7. [Epub ahead of print]34(1): 184-185
    Senescent immune cells release grancalcin to promote skeletal aging.
    Chang-Jun Li, Ye Xiao, Yu-Chen Sun, Wen-Zhen He, Ling Liu, Mei Huang, Chen He, Min Huang, Kai-Xuan Chen, Jing Hou, Xu Feng, Tian Su, Qi Guo, Yan Huang, Hui Peng, Mi Yang, Guang-Hui Liu, Xiang-Hang Luo.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.12.003
  2. Cell Stem Cell. 2022 Jan 06. pii: S1934-5909(21)00486-0. [Epub ahead of print]29(1): 116-130.e7
    Down-syndrome-induced senescence disrupts the nuclear architecture of neural progenitors.
    Hiruy S Meharena, Asaf Marco, Vishnu Dileep, Elana R Lockshin, Grace Y Akatsu, James Mullahoo, L Ashley Watson, Tak Ko, Lindsey N Guerin, Fatema Abdurrob, Shruthi Rengarajan, Malvina Papanastasiou, Jacob D Jaffe, Li-Huei Tsai.
      Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder driven by the triplication of chromosome 21 (T21) and characterized by a wide range of neurodevelopmental and physical disabilities. Transcriptomic analysis of tissue samples from individuals with DS has revealed that T21 induces a genome-wide transcriptional disruption. However, the consequences of T21 on the nuclear architecture and its interplay with the transcriptome remain unknown. In this study, we find that unlike human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) exhibit genome-wide "chromosomal introversion," disruption of lamina-associated domains, and global chromatin accessibility changes in response to T21, consistent with the transcriptional and nuclear architecture changes characteristic of senescent cells. Treatment of T21-harboring NPCs with senolytic drugs alleviates the transcriptional, molecular, and cellular dysfunctions associated with DS. Our findings provide a mechanistic link between T21 and global transcriptional disruption and indicate that senescence-associated phenotypes may play a key role in the neurodevelopmental pathogenesis of DS.
    Keywords:  3D-genome; ATAC-seq; Down syndrome; Hi-C; RNA-seq; aneuploidy; epigenome; lamina-associated domains (LADs); senescence; senolytic drugs; transcriptome
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2021.12.002
  3. EMBO J. 2022 Jan 05. e108946
    Pharmacological CDK4/6 inhibition reveals a p53-dependent senescent state with restricted toxicity.
    Boshi Wang, Marta Varela-Eirin, Simone M Brandenburg, Alejandra Hernandez-Segura, Thijmen van Vliet, Elisabeth M Jongbloed, Saskia M Wilting, Naoko Ohtani, Agnes Jager, Marco Demaria.
      Cellular senescence is a state of stable growth arrest and a desired outcome of tumor suppressive interventions. Treatment with many anti-cancer drugs can cause premature senescence of non-malignant cells. These therapy-induced senescent cells can have pro-tumorigenic and pro-disease functions via activation of an inflammatory secretory phenotype (SASP). Inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 (CDK4/6i) have recently proven to restrain tumor growth by activating a senescence-like program in cancer cells. However, the physiological consequence of exposing the whole organism to pharmacological CDK4/6i remains poorly characterized. Here, we show that exposure to CDK4/6i induces non-malignant cells to enter a premature state of senescence dependent on p53. We observe in mice and breast cancer patients that the CDK4/6i-induced senescent program activates only a partial SASP enriched in p53 targets but lacking pro-inflammatory and NF-κB-driven components. We find that CDK4/6i-induced senescent cells do not acquire pro-tumorigenic and detrimental properties but retain the ability to promote paracrine senescence and undergo clearance. Our results demonstrate that SASP composition is exquisitely stress-dependent and a predictor for the biological functions of different senescence subsets.
    Keywords:  CDK4/6 inhibitors; SASP; cellular senescence; chemotherapy; p53
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2021108946
  4. Diabetes. 2022 Jan 01. 71(1): 23-30
    Aging Leukocytes and the Inflammatory Microenvironment of the Adipose Tissue.
    Korbyn J V Dahlquist, Christina D Camell.
      Age-related immunosenescence, defined as an increase in inflammaging and the decline of the immune system, leads to tissue dysfunction and increased risk for metabolic disease. The elderly population is expanding, leading to a heightened need for therapeutics to improve health span. With age, many alterations of the immune system are observed, including shifts in the tissue-resident immune cells, increased expression of inflammatory factors, and the accumulation of senescent cells, all of which are responsible for a chronic inflammatory loop. Adipose tissue and the immune cell activation within are of particular interest for their well-known roles in metabolic disease. Recent literature reveals that adipose tissue is an organ in which signs of initial aging occur, including immune cell activation. Aged adipose tissue reveals changes in many innate and adaptive immune cell subsets, revealing a complex interaction that contributes to inflammation, increased senescence, impaired catecholamine-induced lipolysis, and impaired insulin sensitivity. Here, we will describe current knowledge surrounding age-related changes in immune cells while relating those findings to recent discoveries regarding immune cells in aged adipose tissue.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2337/dbi21-0013
  5. Exp Eye Res. 2022 Jan 02. pii: S0014-4835(21)00484-X. [Epub ahead of print] 108918
    Mechanisms of RPE senescence and potential role of αB crystallin peptide as a senolytic agent in experimental AMD.
    Parameswaran G Sreekumar, Srinivasa T Reddy, David R Hinton, Ram Kannan.
      Oxidative stress in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and is likely a causative factor in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Under oxidative stress conditions, some of the RPE cells become senescent and a contributory role for RPE senescence in AMD pathology has been proposed. The purpose of this study is to 1) characterize senescence in human RPE; 2) investigate the effect of an αB Crystallin chaperone peptide (mini Cry) in controlling senescence, in particular by regulating mitochondrial function and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) production and 3) develop mouse models for studying the role of RPE senescence in dry and nAMD. Senescence was induced in human RPE cells in two ways. First, subconfluent cells were treated with 0.2 μg/mL doxorubicin (DOX); second, subconfluent cells were treated with 500 μM H2O2. Senescence biomarkers (senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-βgal), p21, p16) and mitochondrial proteins (Fis1, DRP1, MFN2, PGC1-α, mtTFA) were analyzed in control and experimental groups. The effect of mini Cry on mitochondrial bioenergetics, glycolysis and SASP was determined. In vivo, retinal degeneration was induced by intravenous injection of NaIO3 (20 mg/kg) and subretinal fibrosis by laser-induced choroidal neovascularization. Increased SA-βgal staining and p16 and p21 expression was observed after DOX- or H2O2-induced senescence and mini Cry significantly decreased senescence-positive cells. The expression of mitochondrial biogenesis proteins PGC-1 and mTFA increased with senescence, and mini Cry reduced expression significantly. Senescent RPE cells were metabolically active, as evidenced by significantly enhanced oxidative phosphorylation and anaerobic glycolysis, mini Cry markedly reduced rates of respiration and glycolysis. Senescent RPE cells maintain a proinflammatory phenotype characterized by significantly increased production of cytokines (IFN-ˠ, TNF-α, IL1-α IL1-β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10), and VEGF-A; mini Cry significantly inhibited their secretion. We identified and localized senescent RPE cells for the first time in NaIO3-induced retinal degeneration and laser-induced subretinal fibrosis mouse models. We conclude that mini Cry significantly impairs stress-induced senescence by modulating mitochondrial biogenesis and fission proteins in RPE cells. Characterization of senescence could provide further understanding of the metabolic changes that accompany the senescent phenotype in ocular disease. Future studies in vivo may better define the role of senescence in AMD and the therapeutic potential of mini Cry as a senotherapeutic.
    Keywords:  Mitochondrial dysfunction; Oxidative stress; Retinal pigment epithelium; SASP; Senescence; Senolytic drugs; Subretinal fibrosis; αB crystallin peptide
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2021.108918
  6. Mech Ageing Dev. 2022 Jan 03. pii: S0047-6374(21)00191-3. [Epub ahead of print] 111618
    Activatable senoprobes and senolytics: Novel strategies to detect and target senescent cells.
    Samir Morsli, Gary J Doherty, Daniel Muñoz-Espín.
      Pharmacologically active compounds that manipulate cellular senescence (senotherapies) have recently shown great promise in multiple pre-clinical disease models, and some of them are now being tested in clinical trials. Despite promising proof-of-principle evidence, there are known on- and off-target toxicities associated with these compounds, and therefore more refined and novel strategies to improve their efficacy and specificity for senescent cells are being developed. Preferential release of drugs and macromolecular formulations within senescent cells has been predominantly achieved by exploiting one of the most widely used biomarkers of senescence, the increase in lysosomal senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, a common feature of most reported senescent cell types. Galacto-conjugation is a versatile therapeutic and detection strategy to facilitate preferential targeting of senescent cells by using a variety of existing formulations, including modular systems, nanocarriers, activatable prodrugs, probes, and small molecules. We discuss the benefits and drawbacks of these specific senescence targeting tools and how the strategy of galacto-conjugation might be utilised to design more specific and sophisticated next-generation senotherapeutics, as well as theranostics agents. Finally, we discuss some innovative strategies and possible future directions for the field.
    Keywords:  Ageing; Cancer; Cellular senescence; Disease; Galacto-conjugation; Nanoparticle; Prodrug; Senoprobe; Senotherapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2021.111618
  7. Front Mol Biosci. 2021 ;8 803098
    Biliary Epithelial Senescence in Liver Disease: There Will Be SASP.
    Vik Meadows, Leonardo Baiocchi, Debjyoti Kundu, Keisaku Sato, Yessenia Fuentes, Chaodong Wu, Sanjukta Chakraborty, Shannon Glaser, Gianfranco Alpini, Lindsey Kennedy, Heather Francis.
      Cellular senescence is a pathophysiological phenomenon in which proliferative cells enter cell cycle arrest following DNA damage and other stress signals. Natural, permanent DNA damage can occur after repetitive cell division; however, acute stress or other injuries can push cells into premature senescence and eventually a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). In recent years, there has been increased evidence for the role of premature senescence in disease progression including diabetes, cardiac diseases, and end-stage liver diseases including cholestasis. Liver size and function change with aging, and presumably with increasing cellular senescence, so it is important to understand the mechanisms by which cellular senescence affects the functional nature of the liver in health and disease. As well, cells in a SASP state secrete a multitude of inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic factors that modulate the microenvironment. Cellular SASP and the associated, secreted factors have been implicated in the progression of liver diseases, such as cholestatic injury that target the biliary epithelial cells (i.e., cholangiocytes) lining the bile ducts. Indeed, cholangiocyte senescence/SASP is proposed to be a driver of disease phenotypes in a variety of liver injuries. Within this review, we will discuss the impact of cholangiocyte senescence and SASP in the pathogenesis of cholestatic disorders.
    Keywords:  aging; bile duct; cell cycle arrest; cholestasis; fatty liver
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2021.803098
  8. Cell Cycle. 2022 Jan 03. 1-6
    The potential of aging rejuvenation.
    Ana O'Loghlen.
      Aging is a process by which basic cellular functions and tissue homeostasis start to decline and organs become progressively dysfunctional. Although aging was once considered irreversible, the concept of the elixir of youth or rejuvenation has been in the history for centuries. In fact, recent scientific studies now show the existence of alternative strategies to delay aging. Here, we discuss how different signaling pathways, a variety of cell types and molecules can contribute to delay aging. In addition, we will define recently described rejuvenation strategies, with an emphasis on the potential for extracellular vesicles (EV).
    Keywords:  SASP; Senescence; aging; extracellular vesicles; intercellular communication; rejuvenation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15384101.2021.2013612
  9. Cell Metab. 2022 Jan 04. pii: S1550-4131(21)00627-6. [Epub ahead of print]34(1): 5-7
    Targeting p21 for diabetes: Another choice of senotherapy.
    Hiroshi Kondoh, Eiji Hara.
      Senotherapy, the elimination of senescent cells, is a cutting-edge treatment for aging-related and lifestyle diseases. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Wang et al. report that p21Cip1 highly expressing cells, which represent a senescent cell population, occur in the adipose tissue during obesity. Targeting them genetically or pharmacologically attenuates insulin resistance, suggesting a possible therapeutic approach to treat the metabolic complications of obesity.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.12.008
  10. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2022 Jan 03. pii: glab386. [Epub ahead of print]
    Meta-analysis integrated with multi-omics data analysis to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of age-related knee osteoarthritis in mice.
    Hirotaka Iijima, Gabrielle Gilmer, Kai Wang, Sruthi Sivakumar, Christopher Evans, Yusuke Matsui, Fabrisia Ambrosio.
      Increased mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is needed to develop efficacious disease-modifying treatments. Though age-related pathogenic mechanisms are most relevant to the majority of clinically-presenting KOA, the bulk of our mechanistic understanding of KOA has been derived using surgically induced post-traumatic OA (PTOA) models. Here, we took an integrated approach of meta-analysis and multi-omics data analysis to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of age-related KOA in mice. Protein-level data were integrated with transcriptomic profiling to reveal inflammation, autophagy, and cellular senescence as primary hallmarks of age-related KOA. Importantly, the molecular profiles of cartilage aging were unique from those observed following PTOA, with less than 3% overlap between the two models. At the nexus of the three aging hallmarks, Advanced Glycation End-Product (AGE)/Receptor for AGE emerged as the most statistically robust pathway associated with age-related KOA. This pathway was further supported by analysis of mass spectrometry data. Notably, the change in AGE-RAGE signaling over time was exclusively observed in male mice, suggesting sexual dimorphism in the pathogenesis of age-induced KOA in murine models. Collectively, these findings implicate dysregulation of AGE-RAGE signaling as a sex-dependent driver of age-related KOA.
    Keywords:  AGE-RAGE signaling pathway; Aging; Articular cartilage; Bioinformatics; Meta-analysis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab386
  11. Geroscience. 2022 Jan 04.
    Pharmacologic treatment with OKN-007 reduces alpha-motor neuron loss in spinal cord of aging mice.
    Katarzyna M Piekarz, Constantin Georgescu, Jonathan D Wren, Rheal A Towner, Holly Van Remmen.
      Aging is associated with molecular and functional declines in multiple physiologic systems. We have previously reported age-related changes in spinal cord that included a decline in α-motor neuron numbers, axonal loss, and demyelination associated with increased inflammation and blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) permeability. These changes may influence other pathologies associated with aging, in particular loss of muscle mass and function (sarcopenia), which we and others have shown is accompanied by neuromuscular junction disruption and loss of innervation. Interventions to protect and maintain motor neuron viability and function in aging are currently lacking and could have a significant impact on improving healthspan. Here we tested a promising compound, OKN-007, that has known antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, as a potential intervention in age-related changes in the spinal cord. OKN-007 is a low molecular weight disulfonyl derivative of (N-tert Butyl-α-phenylnitrone) (PBN) that can easily cross the blood-brain barrier. We treated middle age (16 month) wild-type male mice with OKN-007 in drinking water at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day until 25 months of age. OKN-007 treatment exerted a number of beneficial effects in the aging spinal cord, including a 35% increase in the number of lumbar α-motor neurons in OKN-treated old mice compared to age-matched controls. Brain spinal cord barrier permeability, which is increased in aging spinal cord, was also blunted by OKN-007 treatment. Age-related changes in microglia proliferation and activation are blunted by OKN-007, while we found no effect on astrocyte proliferation. Transcriptome analysis identified expression changes in a number of genes that are involved in neuronal structure and function and revealed a subset of genes whose changes in response to aging are reversed by OKN-007 treatment. Overall, our findings suggest that OKN-007 exerts neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects on the aging spinal cord and support OKN-007 as a potential therapeutic to improve α-motor neuron health.
    Keywords:  Aging; Blood spinal cord permeability; Microglia; Motor neurons; OKN-007
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-021-00506-y
  12. Aging (Albany NY). 2022 Jan 03. 14(undefined):
    Kampo formulas alleviate aging-related emotional disturbances and neuroinflammation in male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 mice.
    Naoki Ito, Akiko Maruko, Kenshiro Oshima, Masaaki Yoshida, Kengo Honma, Chika Sugiyama, Takayuki Nagai, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Hiroshi Odaguchi, Norihiro Okada.
      Aging-induced neuroinflammation, also known as neuroinflammaging, plays a pivotal role in emotional disturbances, including depression and anxiety, in older individuals, thereby leading to cognitive dysfunction. Although numerous studies have focused on therapeutic strategies for cognitive impairment in older individuals, little research has been performed on treating its preceding emotional disturbances. Here, we examined whether Kampo formulas (kososan [KS], nobiletin-rich kososan [NKS], and hachimijiogan [HJG]) can ameliorate aging-induced emotional disturbances and neuroinflammation in mice. The depression-like behaviors observed in SAMP8 mice, relative to normally aging SAMR1 mice, were significantly prevented by treatment with Kampo formulas for 13 weeks. Western blot analysis revealed that hippocampal neuroinflammation was significantly abrogated by Kampo formulas. KS and NKS also significantly attenuated the hippocampal neuroinflammatory priming induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.33 mg/kg, i.p.) challenge in SAMP8 mice. Hippocampal IL-1β, IL-6, and MCP-1 levels were significantly decreased in NKS-treated SAMP8 mice. KS and NKS showed significantly reduced tau accumulation in the brains of SAMP8 mice. RNA-sequencing revealed that each Kampo formula led to unique dynamics of hippocampal gene expression and appeared to abrogate hippocampal inflammatory responses. HJG significantly blocked the LPS-induced increase in serum IL-6 and MCP-1. These results suggest that Kampo formulas would be useful for treating aging-induced depression, in part by regulating neuroinflammatory pathways. This finding may pave the way for the development of therapeutic strategies for aging-related emotional disturbances, which may contribute to the prevention of cognitive dysfunction in older individuals.
    Keywords:  SAMP8 mice; aging; emotional disturbances; kososan; neuroinflammation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203811
  13. Aging Cell. 2022 Jan 04. e13530
    Aging reduces liver resiliency by dysregulating Hedgehog signaling.
    Raquel Maeso-Díaz, George D Dalton, Sehhoon Oh, Kuo Du, Linda Tang, Tianyi Chen, Rajesh K Dutta, Jessica H Hartman, Joel N Meyer, Anna Mae Diehl.
      Older age is a major risk factor for damage to many tissues, including liver. Aging undermines resiliency and impairs liver regeneration. The mechanisms whereby aging reduces resiliency are poorly understood. Hedgehog is a signaling pathway with critical mitogenic and morphogenic functions during development. Recent studies indicate that Hedgehog regulates metabolic homeostasis in adult liver. The present study evaluates the hypothesis that Hedgehog signaling becomes dysregulated in hepatocytes during aging, resulting in decreased resiliency and therefore, impaired regeneration and enhanced vulnerability to damage. Partial hepatectomy (PH) was performed on young and old wild-type mice and Smoothened (Smo)-floxed mice treated with viral vectors to conditionally delete Smo and disrupt Hedgehog signaling specifically in hepatocytes. Changes in signaling were correlated with changes in regenerative responses and compared among groups. Old livers had fewer hepatocytes proliferating after PH. RNA sequencing identified Hedgehog as a top downregulated pathway in old hepatocytes before and after the regenerative challenge. Deleting Smo in young hepatocytes before PH prevented Hedgehog pathway activation after PH and inhibited regeneration. Gene Ontogeny analysis demonstrated that both old and Smo-deleted young hepatocytes had activation of pathways involved in innate immune responses and suppression of several signaling pathways that control liver growth and metabolism. Hedgehog inhibition promoted telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction in hepatocytes, consequences of aging that promote inflammation and impair tissue growth and metabolic homeostasis. Hedgehog signaling is dysregulated in old hepatocytes. This accelerates aging, resulting in decreased resiliency and therefore, impaired liver regeneration and enhanced vulnerability to damage.
    Keywords:  Hedgehog; aging; hepatocytes; liver regeneration; resiliency; smoothened
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13530
  14. Mech Ageing Dev. 2022 Jan 04. pii: S0047-6374(22)00001-X. [Epub ahead of print] 111619
    Depletion of NIMA-related kinase Nek2 induces aberrant self-renewal and apoptosis in stem/progenitor cells of aged muscular tissues.
    Tatsufumi Mori, Yuta Onodera, Maki Itokazu, Toshiyuki Takehara, Kanae Shigi, Natsumi Iwawaki, Masao Akagi, Takeshi Teramura.
      Frailty of the locomotory organs has become a widespread problem in the geriatric population. The major factor leading to frailty is an age-associated decrease in muscular mass and a reduced number of muscular cells and myofibers. In aged muscular tissues, muscular satellite cells (MuSCs) are reduced due to abnormalities in their self-renewal and the induction of apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanisms connecting aging-associated physiological changes and the reduction of MuSCs are largely unknown. NIMA-related kinase 2 (Nek2), a member of the Nek family of serine/threonine kinases, was found to be downregulated in aged MuSCs/progenitors. Further, Nek2 downregulation was found to inhibit self-renewal and apoptotic cell death by activating the p53-dependent checkpoint. Attenuated NEK2 expression was also observed in the muscular tissues of elderly donors, and its function was confirmed to be conserved in humans. Overall, this study proposes a novel mechanism for inducing muscular atrophy to understand aging-associated muscular diseases.
    Keywords:  Aging-associated muscular degeneration; Cell cycle; Muscular stem cells; Sarcopenia
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2022.111619
  15. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021 ;13 790926
    Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Hearing: Observations From the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
    Pei-Lun Kuo, Ann Zenobia Moore, Frank R Lin, Luigi Ferrucci.
      Objectives: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is highly prevalent among older adults, but the potential mechanisms and predictive markers for ARHL are lacking. Epigenetic age acceleration has been shown to be predictive of many age-associated diseases and mortality. However, the association between epigenetic age acceleration and hearing remains unknown. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between epigenetic age acceleration and audiometric hearing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). Methods: Participants with both DNA methylation and audiometric hearing measurements were included. The main independent variables are epigenetic age acceleration measures, including intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration-"IEAA," Hannum age acceleration-"AgeAccelerationResidualHannum," PhenoAge acceleration-"AgeAccelPheno," GrimAge acceleration-"AgeAccelGrim," and methylation-based pace of aging estimation-"DunedinPoAm." The main dependent variable is speech-frequency pure tone average. Linear regression was used to assess the association between epigenetic age acceleration and hearing. Results: Among the 236 participants (52.5% female), after adjusting for age, sex, race, time difference between measurements, cardiovascular factors, and smoking history, the effect sizes were 0.11 995% CI: (-0.00, 0.23), p = 0.054] for Hannum's clock, 0.08 [95% CI: (-0.03, 0.19), p = 0.143] for Horvath's clock, 0.10 [95% CI: (-0.01, 0.21), p = 0.089] for PhenoAge, 0.20 [95% CI: (0.06, 0.33), p = 0.004] for GrimAge, and 0.21 [95% CI: (0.09, 0.33), p = 0.001] for DunedinPoAm. Discussion: The present study suggests that some epigenetic age acceleration measurements are associated with hearing. Future research is needed to study the potential subclinical cardiovascular causes of hearing and to investigate the longitudinal relationship between DNA methylation and hearing.
    Keywords:  DNA methylation; age-related hearing loss (ARHL); aging; epigenetic age acceleration; epigenetic clock; functional aging; pace of aging; phenotypic aging
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.790926
  16. Aging Cell. 2022 Jan 07. e13546
    Phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 maintains oocyte quality via mitochondrial dynamic rearrangement during aging.
    Chia-Jung Li, Li-Te Lin, Hsiao-Wen Tsai, Zhi-Hong Wen, Kuan-Hao Tsui.
      Decline in ovarian reserve with aging is associated with reduced fertility and the development of metabolic abnormalities. Once mitochondrial homeostasis is imbalanced, it may lead to poor reproductive cell quality and aging. However, Phosphoglycerate translocase 5 (PGAM5), located in the mitochondrial membrane, is associated with necroptosis, apoptosis, and mitophagy, although the underlying mechanisms associated with ovarian aging remain unknown. Therefore, we attempted to uncover whether the high phosphoglycerate mutant enzyme family member 5 (PGAM5) expression is associated with female infertility in cumulus cells, and aims to find out the underlying mechanism of action of PGAM5. We found that PGAM5 is highly expressed and positively associated with aging, and has the potential to help maintain and regulate mitochondrial dynamics and metabolic reprogramming in aging granulosa cells, ovaries of aged female mice, and elderly patients. PGAM5 undergoes activation in the aging group and translocated to the outer membrane of mitochondria, co-regulating DRP1; thereby increasing mitochondrial fission. A significant reduction in the quality of mitochondria in the aging group, a serious imbalance, and a significant reduction in energy, causing metabolism shift toward glycolysis, were also reported. Since PGAM5 is eliminated, the mitochondrial function and metabolism of aging cells are partially reversed. A total of 70 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment were recruited in this clinical study. The high expression of PGAM5 in the cumulus cells is negatively correlated with the pregnancy rate of infertile patients. Hence, PGAM5 has immense potential to be used as a diagnostic marker.
    Keywords:  PGAM5; cumulus cells; granulosa cells; infertility; mitochondrial dynamics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13546
  17. Heliyon. 2021 Dec;7(12): e08594
    Longevity, cellular senescence and the gut microbiome: lessons to be learned from crocodiles.
    Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Sutherland Maciver, Adel Elmoselhi, Nelson Cruz Soares, Naveed Ahmed Khan.
      Crocodiles are flourishing large-bodied ectotherms in a world dominated by endotherms. They survived the Cretaceous extinction event, that eradicated the dinosaurs who are thought to be their ancestral hosts. Crocodiles reside in polluted environments; and often inhabit water which contains heavy metals; frequent exposure to radiation; feed on rotten meat and considered as one of the hardy species that has successfully survived on this planet for millions of years. Another capability that crocodiles possess is their longevity. Crocodiles live much longer than similar-sized land mammals, sometimes living up to 100 years. But how do they withstand such harsh conditions that are detrimental to Homo sapiens? Given the importance of gut microbiome on its' host physiology, we postulate that the crocodile gut microbiome and/or its' metabolites produce substances contributing to their "hardiness" and longevity. Thus, we accomplished literature search in PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar and herein, we discuss the composition of the crocodile gut microbiome, longevity and cellular senescence in crocodiles, their resistance to infectious diseases and cancer, and our current knowledge of the genome and epigenome of these remarkable species. Furthermore, preliminary studies that demonstrate the remarkable properties of crocodile gut microbial flora are discussed. Given the profound role of the gut microbiome in the health of its' host, it is likely that the crocodile gut microbiome and its' metabolites may be contributing to their extended life expectancy and elucidating the underlying mechanisms and properties of these metabolites may hold clues to developing new treatments for age-related diseases for the benefit of Homo sapiens.
    Keywords:  Anti-cancer; Crocodiles; Drug discovery; Gut microbiome; Infectious diseases; Longevity; Novel metabolites; Senescence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08594
  18. Neurobiol Dis. 2021 Dec 31. pii: S0969-9961(21)00356-9. [Epub ahead of print]163 105607
    Primary cilia and ciliary signaling pathways in aging and age-related brain disorders.
    Rong Ma, Naseer A Kutchy, Liang Chen, Douglas D Meigs, Guoku Hu.
      Brain disorders are characterized by the progressive loss of structure and function of the brain as a consequence of progressive degeneration and/or death of nerve cells. Aging is a major risk factor for brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and stroke. Various cellular and molecular events have been shown to play a role in the progress of neurodegenerative diseases. Emerging studies suggest that primary cilia could be a key regulator in brain diseases. The primary cilium is a singular cellular organelle expressed on the surface of many cell types, such as astrocytes and neurons in the mature brain. Primary cilia detect extracellular cues, such as Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) protein, and transduce these signals into cells to regulate various signaling pathways. Abnormalities in ciliary length and frequency (ratio of ciliated cells) have been implicated in various human diseases, including brain disorders. This review summarizes current findings and thoughts on the role of primary cilia and ciliary signaling pathways in aging and age-related brain disorders.
    Keywords:  Aging; Alzheimer's disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Hedgehog signaling; Notch signaling; Parkinson's disease; Primary cilia; Wnt signaling
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105607
  19. Ageing Res Rev. 2022 Jan 03. pii: S1568-1637(21)00304-4. [Epub ahead of print] 101557
    The hyperfunction theory: an emerging paradigm for the biology of aging.
    David Gems.
      The process of senescence (aging) is predominantly determined by the action of wild-type genes. For most organisms, this does not reflect any adaptive function that senescence serves, but rather evolutionary effects of declining selection against genes with deleterious effects later in life. To understand aging requires an account of how evolutionary mechanisms give rise to pathogenic gene action and late-life disease, that integrates evolutionary (ultimate) and mechanistic (proximate) causes into a single explanation. A well-supported evolutionary explanation by G.C. Williams argues that senescence can evolve due to pleiotropic effects of alleles with antagonistic effects on fitness and late-life health (antagonistic pleiotropy, AP). What has remained unclear is how gene action gives rise to late-life disease pathophysiology. One ultimate-proximate account is T.B.L. Kirkwood's disposable soma theory. Based on the hypothesis that stochastic molecular damage causes senescence, this reasons that aging is coupled to reproductive fitness due to preferential investment of resources into reproduction, rather than somatic maintenance. An alternative and more recent ultimate-proximate theory argues that aging is largely caused by programmatic, developmental-type mechanisms. Here ideas about AP and programmatic aging are reviewed, particularly those of M.V. Blagosklonny (the hyperfunction theory) and J.P. de Magalhães (the developmental theory), and their capacity to make sense of diverse experimental findings is assessed.
    Keywords:  antagonistic pleiotropy; hyperfunction; insulin/IGF-1 signalling; mTOR; programmatic aging; quasi-programs; theories of aging
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2021.101557
  20. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2022 Jan 06. 1-36
    Age-associated SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection and changes in immune response in mouse model.
    Yanxia Chen, Can Li, Feifei Liu, Zhanhong Ye, Wenchen Song, Andrew C Y Lee, Huiping Shuai, Lu Lu, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Anna Jinxia Zhang, Hin Chu, Kwok-Yung Yuen.
      ABSTRACTOlder individuals are at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe outcome but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In addition, how age modulates SARS-CoV-2 re-infection and vaccine breakthrough infections remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated age-associated SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, immune responses, and the occurrence of re-infection and vaccine breakthrough infection utilizing a wild type C57BL/6N mouse model. We demonstrated that interferon and adaptive antibody response upon SARS-CoV-2 challenge are significantly impaired in aged mice in comparison to young mice, which results in more effective virus replication and severe disease manifestations in the respiratory tract. Aged mice also showed increased susceptibility to re-infection due to insufficient immune protection acquired during primary infection. Importantly, two-dose COVID-19 mRNA vaccination conferred limited adaptive immune response among the aged mice which rendered them susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Collectively, our findings call for tailored and optimized treatment and prevention strategies against SARS-CoV-2 among the older individuals.
    Keywords:  COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; age; immune breakthrough; re-infection; vaccination
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2022.2026741
  21. Cell Metab. 2022 Jan 04. pii: S1550-4131(21)00626-4. [Epub ahead of print]34(1): 125-139.e8
    STING orchestrates the crosstalk between polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism and inflammatory responses.
    Isabelle K Vila, Hanane Chamma, Alizée Steer, Mathilde Saccas, Clara Taffoni, Evgenia Turtoi, Line S Reinert, Saqib Hussain, Johanna Marines, Lei Jin, Xavier Bonnefont, Mathieu Hubert, Olivier Schwartz, Soren R Paludan, Gaetan Van Simaeys, Gilles Doumont, Bijan Sobhian, Dimitrios Vlachakis, Andrei Turtoi, Nadine Laguette.
      Concerted alteration of immune and metabolic homeostasis underlies several inflammation-related pathologies, ranging from metabolic syndrome to infectious diseases. Here, we explored the coordination of nucleic acid-dependent inflammatory responses and metabolic homeostasis. We reveal that the STING (stimulator of interferon genes) protein regulates metabolic homeostasis through inhibition of the fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) rate-limiting enzyme in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) desaturation. STING ablation and agonist-mediated degradation increased FADS2-associated desaturase activity and led to accumulation of PUFA derivatives that drive thermogenesis. STING agonists directly activated FADS2-dependent desaturation, promoting metabolic alterations. PUFAs in turn inhibited STING, thereby regulating antiviral responses and contributing to resolving STING-associated inflammation. Thus, we have unveiled a negative regulatory feedback loop between STING and FADS2 that fine-tunes inflammatory responses. Our results highlight the role of metabolic alterations in human pathologies associated with aberrant STING activation and STING-targeting therapies.
    Keywords:  FADS2; STING; cGAS; cytosolic DNA; delta-6 Desaturase; inflammation; interferon responses; metabolism; nucleic acid immunity; polyunsaturated fatty acids
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.12.007
  22. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 ;12 791071
    Ovarian Aging: Role of Pituitary-Ovarian Axis Hormones and ncRNAs in Regulating Ovarian Mitochondrial Activity.
    Marco Colella, Danila Cuomo, Teresa Peluso, Ilaria Falanga, Massimo Mallardo, Mario De Felice, Concetta Ambrosino.
      The number of mitochondria in the oocyte along with their functions (e.g., energy production, scavenger activity) decline with age progression. Such multifaceted functions support several processes during oocyte maturation, ranging from energy supply to synthesis of the steroid hormones. Hence, it is hardly surprising that their impairment has been reported in both physiological and premature ovarian aging, wherein they are crucial players in the apoptotic processes that arise in aged ovaries. In any form, ovarian aging implies the progressive damage of the mitochondrial structure and activities as regards to ovarian germ and somatic cells. The imbalance in the circulating hormones and peptides (e.g., gonadotropins, estrogens, AMH, activins, and inhibins), active along the pituitary-ovarian axis, represents the biochemical sign of ovarian aging. Despite the progress accomplished in determining the key role of the mitochondria in preserving ovarian follicular number and health, their modulation by the hormonal signalling pathways involved in ovarian aging has been poorly and randomly explored. Yet characterizing this mechanism is pivotal to molecularly define the implication of mitochondrial dysfunction in physiological and premature ovarian aging, respectively. However, it is fairly difficult considering that the pathways associated with ovarian aging might affect mitochondria directly or by altering the activity, stability and localization of proteins controlling mitochondrial dynamics and functions, either unbalancing other cellular mediators, released by the mitochondria, such as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). We will focus on the mitochondrial ncRNAs (i.e., mitomiRs and mtlncRNAs), that retranslocate from the mitochondria to the nucleus, as active players in aging and describe their role in the nuclear-mitochondrial crosstalk and its modulation by the pituitary-ovarian hormone dependent pathways. In this review, we will illustrate mitochondria as targets of the signaling pathways dependent on hormones and peptides active along the pituitary/ovarian axis and as transducers, with a particular focus on the molecules retrieved in the mitochondria, mainly ncRNAs. Given their regulatory function in cellular activities we propose them as potential diagnostic markers and/or therapeutic targets.
    Keywords:  FSH (follicle stimulating hormone); LncRNA - long noncoding RNA; MitomiRs; estrogens; miRNA - microRNA; mitochondria; ncRNA; ovarian aging
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.791071
  23. Front Immunol. 2021 ;12 765477
    Intracellular NAD+ Depletion Confers a Priming Signal for NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.
    Do-Wan Shim, Hyo-Joung Cho, Inhwa Hwang, Taek-Yeol Jung, Hyun-Seok Kim, Ju Hee Ryu, Je-Wook Yu.
      Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an important cofactor in many redox and non-redox NAD+-consuming enzyme reactions. Intracellular NAD+ level steadily declines with age, but its role in the innate immune potential of myeloid cells remains elusive. In this study, we explored whether NAD+ depletion by FK866, a highly specific inhibitor of the NAD salvage pathway, can affect pattern recognition receptor-mediated responses in macrophages. NAD+-depleted mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) exhibited similar levels of proinflammatory cytokine production in response to LPS or poly (I:C) stimulation compared with untreated cells. Instead, FK866 facilitated robust caspase-1 activation in BMDMs in the presence of NLRP3-activating signals such as ATP and nigericin, a potassium ionophore. However, this FK866-mediated caspase-1 activation was completely abolished in Nlrp3-deficient macrophages. FK866 plus nigericin stimulation caused an NLRP3-dependent assembly of inflammasome complex. In contrast, restoration of NAD+ level by supplementation with nicotinamide mononucleotide abrogated the FK866-mediated caspase-1 cleavage. FK866 did not induce or increase the expression levels of NLRP3 and interleukin (IL)-1β but drove mitochondrial retrograde transport into the perinuclear region. FK866-nigericin-induced mitochondrial transport is critical for caspase-1 cleavage in macrophages. Consistent with the in vitro experiments, intradermal coinjection of FK866 and ATP resulted in robust IL-1β expression and caspase-1 activation in the skin of wild-type, but not Nlrp3-deficient mice. Collectively, our data suggest that NAD+ depletion provides a non-transcriptional priming signal for NLRP3 activation via mitochondrial perinuclear clustering, and aging-associated NAD+ decline can trigger NLRP3 inflammasome activation in ATP-rich environments.
    Keywords:  NAD; aging; inflammasome; macrophage; proinflammatory
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.765477
  24. Clin Sci (Lond). 2022 Jan 14. 136(1): 61-80
    Mechanisms of immune aging in HIV.
    Manon Chauvin, Delphine Sauce.
      Massive CD4+ T-cell depletion as well as sustained immune activation and inflammation are hallmarks of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-1 infection. In recent years, an emerging concept draws an intriguing parallel between HIV-1 infection and aging. Indeed, many of the alterations that affect innate and adaptive immune subsets in HIV-infected individuals are reminiscent of the process of immune aging, characteristic of old age. These changes, of which the presumed cause is the systemic immune activation established in patients, likely participate in the immuno-incompetence described with HIV progression. With the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-seropositive patients can now live for many years despite chronic viral infection. However, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related opportunistic infections have given way to chronic diseases as the leading cause of death since HIV infection. Therefore, the comparison between HIV-1 infected patients and uninfected elderly individuals goes beyond the sole onset of immunosenescence and extends to the deterioration of several physiological functions related to inflammation and systemic aging. In light of this observation, it is interesting to understand the precise link between immune activation and aging in HIV-1 infection to figure out how to best care for people living with HIV (PLWH).
    Keywords:  HIV; aging; immunosenescence; inflammation
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20210344
  25. Neurobiol Aging. 2021 Dec 02. pii: S0197-4580(21)00346-8. [Epub ahead of print]111 71-81
    Dose-dependent relationship between social drinking and brain aging.
    Alexanndra Angebrandt, Osama A Abulseoud, Mallory Kisner, Nancy Diazgranados, Reza Momenan, Yihong Yang, Elliot A Stein, Thomas J Ross.
      Low-level alcohol consumption is commonly perceived as being inconsequential or even beneficial for overall health, with some reports suggesting that it may protect against dementia or cardiovascular risks. However, these potential benefits do not preclude the concurrent possibility of negative health outcomes related to alcohol consumption. To examine whether casual, non-heavy drinking is associated with premature brain aging, we utilized the Brain-Age Regression Analysis and Computational Utility Software package to predict brain age in a community sample of adults [n = 240, mean age 35.1 (±10.7) years, 48% male, 49% African American]. Accelerated brain aging was operationalized as the difference between predicted and chronological age ("brain age gap"). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant association between previous 90-day alcohol consumption and brain age gap (β = 0.014, p = 0.023). We replicated these results in an independent cohort [n = 231 adults, mean age 34.3 (±11.1) years, 55% male, 28% African American: β = 0.014, p = 0.002]. Our results suggest that even low-level alcohol consumption is associated with premature brain aging. The clinical significance of these findings remains to be investigated.
    Keywords:  Alcohol; Brain age prediction; Community sample; accelerated aging
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.11.008
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