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Reduced mitochondrial function important mechanism in aging
May 27, 2004Scientists at the Karolinska Institute have found that changes in the "powerhouse" of cells, the mitochondria, play a key role in aging. The findings are being published in this week's issue of the journal Nature.
Mitochondria, which provide energy to cells, have their own set of DNA. Mutations of mitochondrial DNA increase with age, but until now no one knew whether this is a result of aging or a cause of aging. New research findings now indicate that the latter is the case.
Mice with a deficient capacity to correct mutations in mitochondrial DNA acquired an increased number of mutations and proved to age considerably earlier than normal. They lived an average of 10 to 12 months compared with the normal 2 or 3 years. These mice also developed several typical signs of premature aging, such as osteoporosis, weight loss, hair loss, anemia, reduced fertility, and heart muscle disorders.
The findings reveal fundamental biological mechanisms that lie behind the aging process. This knowledge paves the way for the possibility of slowing down aging and treating pathological changes that arise in connection with aging by protecting mitochondrial DNA from damage.
Vetenskapsrådet (The Swedish Research Council)
DNA Current Events and DNA News RSSProtein's essential role in repairing damaged cells revealed
University of Michigan researchers have discovered that a key protein in cells plays a critical role in not one, but two processes affecting the development of cancer.
Genetic mutation causes familial susceptibility for degenerative brain disease
Mutation of a gene that helps proteins migrate in and out of the cell's genetic command center - the nucleus - puts some families at higher risk for the degenerative brain disease acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE).
NYU scientists discover dangerous new method for bacterial toxin transfer
Scientists have discovered a new way for bacteria to transfer toxic genes to unrelated bacterial species, a finding that raises the unsettling possibility that bacterial swapping of toxins and other disease-aiding factors may be more common than previously imagined.
Plant polymerases IV and V are special forms of Polymerase II
It's a little like finding out that Superman is actually Clark Kent. A team of biologists at Washington University in St. Louis has discovered that two vital cellular components, nuclear RNA Polymerases IV and V (Pol IV and V), found only in plants, are actually specialized forms of RNA Polymerase II, an essential enzyme of all eukaryotic organisms, including humans.
Evolution in action: Our antibodies take 'evolutionary leaps' to fight microbes
With cold and flu season in full swing, the fact that viruses and bacteria rapidly evolve is apparent with every sneeze, sniffle, and cough. A new report in the January 2009 issue of The FASEB Journal, explains for the first time how humans keep up with microbes by rearranging the genes that make antibodies to foreign invaders. This research fills a significant gap in our understanding of how the immune system helps us survive.
Team finds breast cancer gene linked to disease spread
A team of researchers at Princeton University and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey has identified a long-sought gene that is fatefully switched on in 30 to 40 percent of all breast cancer patients, spreading the disease, resisting traditional chemotherapies and eventually leading to death.
Collagen VI may help protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease
Scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), UCSF, and Stanford have discovered that a certain type of collagen, collagen VI, protects brain cells against amyloid-beta (Aβ) proteins, which are widely thought to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Testes stem cell can change into other body tissues, Stanford/UCSF study shows
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and at UC-San Francisco have succeeded in isolating stem cells from human testes.
Understanding Extinct Microbes May Influence the State of Modern Human Health
The study of ancient microbes may not seem consequential, but such pioneering research at the University of Oklahoma has implications for the state of modern human health. Cecil Lewis, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, says results of this research raise questions about the microbes living on and within people.
In lung cancer, silencing one crucial gene disrupts normal functioning of genome
While examining patterns of DNA modification in lung cancer, a team of international researchers has discovered what they say is a surprising new mechanism.
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