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Chiavellini P, Lehmann M, Gallardo MD, Mallat MC, Pasquini DC, Zoller JA, Gordevicius J, Girard M, Lacunza E, Herenu CB, Horvath S, Goya RG. Young Plasma Rejuvenates Blood DNA Methylation Profile, Extends Mean Lifespan, and Improves Physical Appearance in Old Rats. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glae071. [PMID: 38430547 PMCID: PMC11020299 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2024] Open
Abstract
There is converging evidence that young blood conveys cells, vesicles, and molecules able to revitalize function and restore organ integrity in old individuals. We assessed the effects of young plasma on the lifespan, epigenetic age, and healthspan of old female rats. Beginning at 25.6 months of age, a group of 9 rats (group T) was intraperitoneally injected with plasma from young rats until their natural death. A group of 8 control rats of the same age received no treatment (group C). Blood samples were collected every other week. Survival curves showed that from age 26 to 30 months, none of the group T animals died, whereas the survival curve of group C rats began to decline at age 26 months. Blood DNAm age versus chronological age showed that DNAm age in young animals increased faster than chronological age, then slowed down, entering a plateau after 27 months. The DNAm age of the treated rats fell below the DNAm age of controls and, in numerical terms, remained consistently lower until natural death. When rats were grouped according to the similarities in their differential blood DNA methylation profile, samples from the treated and control rats clustered in separate groups. Analysis of promoter differential methylation in genes involved in systemic regulatory activities revealed specific GO term enrichment related to the insulin-like factors pathways as well as to cytokines and chemokines associated with immune and homeostatic functions. We conclude that young plasma therapy may constitute a natural, noninvasive intervention for epigenetic rejuvenation and health enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Chiavellini
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP)—Histology B and Pathology B, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Marianne Lehmann
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP)—Histology B and Pathology B, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Maria D Gallardo
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP)—Histology B and Pathology B, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Martina Canatelli Mallat
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP)—Histology B and Pathology B, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Diana C Pasquini
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP)—Histology B and Pathology B, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Joseph A Zoller
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Mauricio Girard
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP)—Histology B and Pathology B, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Lacunza
- Centro de Investigaciones Inmunologicas Basicas y Aplicadas (CINIBA), School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Claudia B Herenu
- Institute for Experimental Pharmacology (IFEC), School of Chemical Sciences, National University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Altos Labs, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Rodolfo G Goya
- Institute for Biochemical Research (INIBIOLP)—Histology B and Pathology B, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Vitality in Aging Research Group (VIA), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Alibhai FJ, Li RK. Rejuvenation of the Aging Heart: Molecular Determinants and Applications. Can J Cardiol 2024:S0828-282X(24)00201-0. [PMID: 38460612 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
In Canada and worldwide, the elderly population (i.e., individuals >65 years of age) is increasing disproportionately relative to the total population. This is expected to have a substantial impact on the healthcare system, as increased aged is associated with a greater incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases. Within the elderly population cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death, therefore developing therapies which can prevent or slow disease progression in this demography is highly desirable. Historically aging research has focused on the development of anti-aging therapies which are implemented early in life and slow the age-dependent decline in cell and organ function. However, accumulating evidence supports that late-in-life therapies can also benefit the aged cardiovascular system by limiting the age-dependent functional decline. Moreover, recent studies have also demonstrated that rejuvenation (i.e. reverting cellular function to that of a younger phenotype) of the already aged cardiovascular system is possible, opening new avenues to develop therapies for older individuals. In this review, we first provide an overview of the functional changes that occur in the cardiomyocyte with aging and how this contributes to the age-dependent decline in heart function. We then discuss the various anti-aging/rejuvenation strategies that have been pursued to improve the function of the aged cardiomyocyte, with a focus on therapies implemented late in life. These strategies include 1) established systemic approaches (caloric restriction, exercise), 2) pharmacological approaches (mTOR, AMPK, SIRT1, and autophagy targeting molecules), and 3) emerging rejuvenation approaches (partial reprogramming, parabiosis/modulation of circulating factors, targeting endogenous stem cell populations, and senotherapeutics). Collectively, these studies demonstrate the exciting potential and limitations of current rejuvenation strategies and highlight future areas of investigation which will contribute to the development of rejuvenation therapies for the aged heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faisal J Alibhai
- Toronto General Research Hospital Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ren-Ke Li
- Toronto General Research Hospital Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Mitteldorf J. Biological Clocks: Why We Need Them, Why We Cannot Trust Them, How They Might Be Improved. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:356-366. [PMID: 38622101 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924020135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Late in life, the body is at war with itself. There is a program of self-destruction (phenoptosis) implemented via epigenetic and other changes. I refer to these as type (1) epigenetic changes. But the body retains a deep instinct for survival, and other epigenetic changes unfold in response to a perception of accumulated damage (type (2)). In the past decade, epigenetic clocks have promised to accelerate the search for anti-aging interventions by permitting prompt, reliable, and convenient measurement of their effects on lifespan without having to wait for trial results on mortality and morbidity. However, extant clocks do not distinguish between type (1) and type (2). Reversing type (1) changes extends lifespan, but reversing type (2) shortens lifespan. This is why all extant epigenetic clocks may be misleading. Separation of type (1) and type (2) epigenetic changes will lead to more reliable clock algorithms, but this cannot be done with statistics alone. New experiments are proposed. Epigenetic changes are the means by which the body implements phenoptosis, but they do not embody a clock mechanism, so they cannot be the body's primary timekeeper. The timekeeping mechanism is not yet understood, though there are hints that it may be (partially) located in the hypothalamus. For the future, we expect that the most fundamental measurement of biological age will observe this clock directly, and the most profound anti-aging interventions will manipulate it.
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Lu YR, Tian X, Sinclair DA. The Information Theory of Aging. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1486-1499. [PMID: 38102202 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00527-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Information storage and retrieval is essential for all life. In biology, information is primarily stored in two distinct ways: the genome, comprising nucleic acids, acts as a foundational blueprint and the epigenome, consisting of chemical modifications to DNA and histone proteins, regulates gene expression patterns and endows cells with specific identities and functions. Unlike the stable, digital nature of genetic information, epigenetic information is stored in a digital-analog format, susceptible to alterations induced by diverse environmental signals and cellular damage. The Information Theory of Aging (ITOA) states that the aging process is driven by the progressive loss of youthful epigenetic information, the retrieval of which via epigenetic reprogramming can improve the function of damaged and aged tissues by catalyzing age reversal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuancheng Ryan Lu
- Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xiao Tian
- Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David A Sinclair
- Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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