Researchers from UConn Health and the Jackson
Laboratory for Genomic Medicine have recently discovered that human chromosomes
age with us. When we are young, chromosomes are loosely coiled, allowing for thousands
of sites to be open and ready to activate genes and make proteins. As we age,
some sections of the chromosome curl and become more tightly coiled, making it
more difficult for DNA that defends our body against disease to be accessed.
The genomic study utilized blood samples from 75
healthy, young people (ages 22-40), and 26 samples from healthy seniors (age 65
and up). The researchers isolated immune cells from each blood sample, and looked
at how the immune cells’ gene activation changed with aging. The scientists found
that regions of chromosome that code for genes that develop and differentiate T-cells,
which help defend against the flu, viral infections, and some cancers, are more
likely to be open in young people than in seniors. They also discovered that the
elderly are more likely to have open regions of chromosome that code for genes
associated with cell death and inflammation. Previous studies have shown that
chromosomes shrink with age, and that gene expression is affected (The
Scientist). However, the discovery of differently coiled chromosomes between
young people and seniors had never been seen before in genomic analysis, and is
now helping researchers conduct studies in overall disease resilience in older
people. I find this topic very interesting because it may lead to medical breakthroughs in the care of the elderly. It is amazing to think that by learning about how the chromosomes age we can possibly make seniors more resilient to certain diseases.
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