Epigenetics and Aging: The effects of DNA breakage and repair

A 13-year international study in mice demonstrates that loss of epigenetic information, which influences how DNA is organized and regulated, can drive aging independently of changes to the genetic code itself. It also shows that restoring the integrity of the epigenome reverses age-related symptoms.

[militiamc]

Still lots of work to be done. Epigenetic age reversal in mice was done a couple of weeks ago and the mice lived 9% longer than the control. Rapamycin gets mice to live 30%+ longer. This epigenetic reversal was only done once though. The trick is there are 200 different cell types in the body - some types of cells 'age' faster than the other. The liver for example regenerates quickly so if you give the same factor to a liver cell as a brain cell, the liver cell would be rejuvenated too much and become a cancerous tumor. In addition, just because you're say 50 years old doesn't meet all of your cells are 50. The age of your individual cells follow some distribution such that if you give them all the same factor the old cells get rejuvenated and the young cells get cancerous. So in theory age reversal is possible but I think we're one breakthrough away. How can you identify at what stage of the cell cycle each cell is and only target certain cells at certain stages - that my Youtube friends will be the end of aging.

[markwalker]

I'm in my mid 50s and I hope in my lifetime we can reverse ageing.

[radwizard]

Thank you Dr. Sinclair to you and your group for dedicating your life to studying this arduous work.

[alfabsc]

Thank you for explaining this complicated topic in a way that people with only basic biology education can understand.

[soundsofcodes]

You've found immortality and only a few million people know about it. This discovery is beyond incredible. I'm proud to live in the same era as you. I kiss your hands. I'm in tears. Thanks a million❤

[SpringChickensOnlyMan]

It’s coming. I can’t wait for us to finally stay looking good our whole lives. I hate how old age disfigures your body and makes it impossible to date when you’re older

[alexharvey]

Many of us might one day owe our lives (or part of them) to this guy. Doesn't sound like it was easy to get where he is now either. Definitely recommend his book "Lifespan".

[cameddy]

Thanks for sharing this info so freely Harvard - optimism through science!! Disregard at your own folly PLEASE keep posting and keep the love of learning alive 🙏

[lyrooo]

I would never be able to learn all the things I want to within the normal life span of the average person and as we get older the harder it for us to learn, hopefully this can help us all.

[LainSerrato]

I love how everyone in the comments is an expert on this stuff. Thanks for all the hard work doc now hurry up and keep me young forever so I can create my familial army

[ranjitpelia]

wow, amazing work. Asides from aging, just in terms of chromatin remodeling and PIC-recycling, paradigm shifting.

[AndrewShevchuk]

I wish you good luck and success in your future research.

[vonwolly]

David Sinclair looks good for his age.

[richardbalboa]

How a privilege to live in the 21st century !

[aishoolas]

Thank you for explaining such a difficult research in an accessible language. Love you, HMS 🤍

[pumamanta]

The sound effect of DNA “loosing” was VERY disturbing

[HD-nodz]

If this has been so successful on animal testing as I have been reading, why aren't we offering such treatments to our pets now whilst we work on making it work on humans?

[ChazSmithProductions]

Give it to us NOW... We had no problem taking part in the mRNA Experiment.

[UHFStation]

I hope gene therapy can allow scar tissue removal so healthy tissue can replace it retina, heart, brain, liver, etc.

[HominidPetro]

Interesting how anti-aging is essentially negative entropy, and nucleic acids being informational units of the cell, you need to maintain high informational capacity.