Chinese scholars find "gene therapy" to delay aging

Liu Guanghui, a researcher at the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and others have identified new aging regulatory genes in human-filled stem cells using the whole genome CRISPR/Cas9 screening system for the first time, and on this basis have developed a new "gene therapy" that can delay the aging of the body. The study, published online January 7 in Scientific Translational Medicine, provides intervention targets and new strategies for delaying aging and preventing aging-related diseases.
cell aging is the basis of organ and even individual aging, this process is affected by genetic and environmental factors. Although a number of cell aging-related genes have been reported in previous studies, there may still be a large number of unknown aging regulatory genes. In view of these aging regulatory genes, there is also a lack of systematic research on whether targeted manipulation can be developed to interfere with individual aging process.
"Our research lasted more than 6 years, using the whole genome CRISPR/Cas9 screening technology, human early aging interstitity stem cell research system, identified more than 100 new human cell aging promoting genes, and the top 50 genes were functionally verified, and finally confirmed that knocking out these genes can delay the aging of human-filled stem cells. Zhang Weixuan, one of the study's
researcher at the Beijing Genomics Research Institute, said.
, the encoded gene KAT7 of histogenetic acetyl transferase is the top candidate. The study found that KAT7 expression was increased in human-to-human charged stem cells with physiological and pathological aging. Knocking out the gene can effectively delay cell aging, and over-expression of the gene will promote cell aging. Its molecular mechanism is that KAT7 promotes p15INK4b expression and induces cell aging by selectively catalytic acetylation of H3K14.
-related animal experiments have shown that knocking down KAT7 can reduce the proportion of senescing cells in the liver of aging mice, significantly reduce the level of anti-inflammatory factors in the blood, improve the health of mice, and extend the life span of physiological aging and premature aging mice.
" results suggest that 'gene therapy' based on single-factor ineration is expected to extend the natural and healthy lifespan of mammals. Knocking down KAT7 or using interventions such as KAT7 inhibitors has potential application value in human aging translational medicine. Qu Jing, one of the study's
researchers at the Institute of Animals, said. (Source: Liu Runan, China Science Journal)
relevant paper information: