Telomeric Damage Will Make You Older .. In The Inside

 

Photo of a telomere (signified by orange caps) by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Time catches up to many, to the point that others make countless attempts to maintain a healthy body and appearance. Most point and refer to skincare routines, but some believe that telomeres can be the cause of youth. While telomeres are involved in the processes of aging, these orange caps, symbolized by the image above, are specifically involved in premature aging. On the surface, premature aging sounds like it affects the human appearance. Aviv Clinics explicitly counters that, saying that "it is entirely within reason for a 70 year old .. biologically speaking, to be much younger.¹"

Photo of a telomere progressively showing senescence as age comes later on, provided by AgeReverse. 

The phenomenon behind premature aging in telomeres is a mechanism that scientists discovered to be in telomerase, an enzyme that regulates telomeric development.² Scientists at Hangzhou, China conducted a report regarding the processes associated with telomerase and it's relationship with premature aging at a biological level. "Shelterin regulates telomerase activity at telomeres .. disruptions in the shelterin complex can lead to premature aging.³" Furthermore, premature aging tends to happen because of "senescence," or the telomeres progressively shortening as time passes on. "Senescent cells no longer divide," reporters at Medical News Today exclaims, "and several other factors are associated with telomeric shortening, like a lack of physical activity.⁴"

Photo of a telomere being acted on by Telomerase, which catalyzes and reinforces extension of the telomere. Provided by MDPI.

In spite of the other factors leading up to telomeric shortening, and thus, premature aging, there are also other locations that this phenomenon occurs as well. "..The relationship with mortality and telomere length in leukocytes," Frontiers reporters and scientists point out, "is further linked to cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease.⁵" Moreover, similar diseases and disorders are capable of sprouting from this telomeric phenomenon. "Short Telomere Syndrome illuminates why telomere length is crucial," Aviv Clinic studies, "It's a rare group of disorders where there is accelerated aging and premature organ failure.¹" On top of that, telomeres and premature aging can put others at risk for those with metabolic diseases.

References

¹ Napchi, D. (2025, August 8). Telomere lengthening therapy: Can hyperbaric oxygen reverse biological aging?. Aviv Clinics USA. https://aviv-clinics.com/blog/science/reversing-the-aging-process-a-closer-look-at-telomeres/

² Telomere - physiopedia. (n.d.-c). https://www.physio-pedia.com/Telomere

³ Huang, X., Huang, L., Lu, J., Cheng, L., Wu, D., Li, L., Zhang, S., Lai, X., & Xu, L. (2025, March 5). The relationship between telomere length and aging-related diseases. Clinical and experimental medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11882723/#Sec10

⁴ MediLexicon International. (n.d.). Are telomeres really the key to living longer, youthful lives?. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/are-telomeres-really-the-key-to-living-longer-youthful-lives#How-to-maximize-your-healthy-life-years

⁵ Jinesh, S., Özüpek, B., & Aditi, P. (2025, December 9). Premature aging and metabolic diseases: The impact of telomere attrition. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging/articles/10.3389/fragi.2025.1541127/full#h3

Shining a Light on the World of Tiny Proteins

     Scientists have been studying proteins for over two centuries. There are strong tools that are used to find molecules. These tools can scan genomes to find genes that encode proteins. They can also use AI to model complex protein structures that help them do their job. Scientist have recently discovered 4,208 unknown proteins that were created by viruses like influenza and HIV. Researchers have also found new proteins in animals, plants, and bacteria. 

    A well-studied micro-protein called Myc- Induced Nuclear Antigen 1 (MINA) controls apoptosis and cell proliferation. Another example of a microprotein is No Body, which is involved in DNA repair and is used in genomic stability. Micro-proteins are key for functioning organisms and cells. By studying these proteins, researchers can get new insight into disease mechanisms and possibly be able to identify information for drug development. 

This picture shows ribosomes through a transmission electron micrograph. Ribosomes are inside cells and are responsible for protein synthesis. 

References:

 A shining light on the world of the microtic ones

Shining a Light on the World of Microproteins - The New York Times

A New Breakthrough in Gene Editing

 A New Breakthrough in Gene Editing

    A new gene-editing strategy developed by researchers at the Broad Institute and Harvard could make treatments for many rare genetic diseases faster and cheaper to create. Published in Nature, the study focuses on diseases caused by nonsense mutations. These mutations cause genetic errors that insert a premature stop signal and prevent a full protein from being produced (National Cancer Institute, 2019). Instead of fixing each individual mutation, the team developed a suppressor tRNA that helps cells read through these stop signals and restore proper protein production. Using a technique called prime editing, they inserted this molecule into cells, creating a method named PERT (HealthDay, 2025). Tests in human cell models of several rare diseases, including cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs, and in mice with Hurler syndrome, showed restored protein function at levels expected to ease symptoms, without toxicity. Experts say the approach could treat a wide range of conditions and reach millions of patients, though major challenges remain, especially delivering gene-editing tools to all needed cells and ensuring long-term safety. Scientists emphasize that while promising, this strategy will require years of further testing before it can be used in people.

    Instead of fixing one mutation at a time, this new approach could help millions of people with rare diseases who currently have limited or no treatment options in which I believe is important. It also shows how using suppressor tRNAs can open doors to solutions that didn’t seem possible before. Even though more testing is needed, this research gives hope for a future where advanced genetic therapies are faster, cheaper, and available to far more patients.

References:

HealthDay. (2025). New Approach Could Make Gene-Editing Treatments Faster and Cheaper. US News & World Report; U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-11-21/new-approach-could-make-gene-editing-treatments-faster-and-cheaper

National Cancer Institute. (2019). Definition of nonsense mutation - NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. National Cancer Institute; Cancer.gov. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/genetics-dictionary/def/nonsense-mutation

What Genetically Modified Mice Tell Us About Multicellularity

 A lab in Hong Kong has recently made genetically modified mice, swapping the mices' stem cell genes for a choanoflagellate's. The purpose of this experiment was to examine the similarity in functionality of the genes responsible for pluripotency in the choanoflagellate and in animals. Modified stem cells were injected into the mice embryos, then the birthed mice were examined.

The produced mice were, on the whole, normal, signifying to researchers that the stem cells from the unicellular organism were compatible with a multicellular's. The mice also tell researchers about pluripotency, or cell differentiation. More specifically, the research has concluded that multicellularity came after cell differentiation. In fact, multicellularity, and the consequent evolution of organisms, might have even been the result of pluripotency. It also indicates that, unlike previously thought, the genes for pluripotency predate the emergence of multicellular organisms.

What is incredible about this experiment is that the genes in the choanoflagellate, which are likely millions or even billions of years old, still work and are still around. Not only that, but these ancient genes are still compatible in other, more modern organisms. What caught my interest is that the article mentioned that some of the modified mice had "dark eyes and dark fur patches that indicated their mixed genetics" (Starr). I would like to know if why this occurs, and if this is related to the choanoflagellate's gene sequence. Perhaps it indicates some limitation of gene-transplanting?

ARTICLES:

https://www.sciencealert.com/genes-older-than-animal-life-itself-were-inserted-into-mice-heres-what-happened

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/pluripotency

Ultrasound can ‘see’ when tumor cells turn genes on and off

Ultrasound is a machine that gives an early snapshot of baby, and images of what going on inside the body. Researchers have found new development that ultrasound machine can help show tumor growth in the nerve cells of the inside body. If research can do this, they can genetically modify genes when producing a glowing protein of GSP o green fluorescent protein. By using ultrasound, it will give the visual images of a high-frequency sound wave in the body. For example, researches tested the genes by putting into virally altered human kidney cells that they then injected into mice. These cells caused tumors to sprout in the rodents. When the researchers visualized the tumors with GFP, they appeared as green blobs. Ultrasound furnished a more precise image, showing that only cells at the rim of the tumors had turned on the bubble-producing genes", according to the article by Mitch Leslie, "Ultrasound can ''see'' when tumor cells turn genes on and off." This is an excellent article because it shows how reliable an ultrasound machine is that it can detect specific high wavelength and active genes in live cells.

"An ultrasound image reveals genes are active at the edge of a mouse’s tumor"  (Taken from Leslie Mitch's article).

A. Farhadi et al., Science 365, 1469 

Researchers have used ultrasound to detect gene activity in tumors like this one, which was imaged with an older fluorescent technique" 

(Taken from Leslie Mitch's article).

A. Farhadi et al., Science 365, 1469

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/ultrasound-can-see-when-tumor-cells-turn-genes-and

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20190927/Scientists-use-ultrasound-to-detect-active-genes-in-live-cells.aspx

Immortalized Avian cells to save Endangered Species

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181116083200.htm
https://www.biocat.com/cell-biology/cell-immortalization

Species are going endangered much more often now due to the influences of human forces. This is one of the Avian species that are endangered, the Okinawa Rail native to northern Japan. In an effort to save the endangered birds, a group of scientists have tried to culture the cells. However, the cells are very unstable in a culture due to the stressors and that they degrade with age or known as "senescence". They have tried to immortalize the cells by introducing to it the simian virus and the human papillomavirus but that failed. Instead, the team decided with a more unorthodox and less refined way of immortalizing the cells, basically, they were taking a risk. They had to simultaneously introduce several mutagenic factors called the 4KDT method. Although this method cannot mass produce the immortal cells, it is a start to where the researchers need to begin. With immortalizing these cells, researchers hope to obtain valuable information of the innings of the avian species to try and save them from extinction.

Genetic Roadmap to building an entire organism from a single cell

Researchers at Harvard Medical School recently made a breakthrough that potentially could change the future of medicine techniques all together. The one struggle all biologists had, was a complete understanding of the cell process and how each cell creates and makes new cells. The researchers have done a long-term research on this topic of understanding the cell process and what how one cell becomes an organism, and can follow through what each cell does step by step. This is such an important and significant breakthrough because the knowledge behind knowing how the cells work could eventually lead to how to turn off and turn on certain signals in the cells to make the body produce more of a certain cell that codes for something like "hair production" when usually that is a cell produced more when the person is a young boy or girl, but is very much needed when the little boy and girl is an adult and is seeing nothing other than the thinning of the hair.

In my opinion this could lead to so many more studies and work, this research is by far the end of this story. So many biologists and researchers are going to want to look into this work and make sure the data is correct and true, that they do have a roadmap of the cells in the body, which ultimately would do nothing other than be helpful when it came to finding help towards diseases and infections alike.

For more information: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180426141459.htm
For more information on the study: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2018/04/25/science.aar3131

Genetic Screening Tool Identifies How the Flu Infiltrates Cells

Han and Balaji Manicassamy, PhD, associate teacher of microbiology at UChicago and senior creator of the examination, utilized CRISPR/Cas9 quality altering devices that enable researchers to specifically thump out, or kill, particular qualities. They made a library of adjusted human epithelial lung cells, the cells that line the aviation routes and are the first to be tainted by the influenza infection. Every cell was feeling the loss of an alternate quality, making about 19,000 diverse hereditary varieties of the cell. 

Scientists at the University of Chicago have built up a hereditary screening device that recognized two key factors that enable the flu infection to contaminate human lung cells. The method utilizes new quality altering instruments to make a library of adjusted cells, each missing an alternate quality, enabling researchers to see which changes affect their reaction to influenza. This thus could distinguish potential focuses for antiviral medications.


The scientists at that point presented the cells to the H5N1 influenza strain, a sort of flu An infection usually known as the winged animal influenza. On the off chance that the infection could taint and murder one of the host cells, that implies the quality and the proteins it produces didn't assume a part in the infection's capacity to duplicate. On the off chance that the cell survived, that implies its adjusted genome by one means or another made it impervious to the infection - it was currently missing a pathway that the infection depended on to imitate and do its grimy work.

After five rounds of presenting the cells to the H5N1 infection, Han and Manicassamy were left with an arrangement of cells that were truly impervious to this season's cold virus. When they analyzed what these tough survivors had in like manner, two qualities emerged. One, SLC35A1, encodes a protein that makes a receptor for this season's cold virus on the surface of the cell. This bodes well - on the off chance that you thump out SLC35A1, there's nothing for the infection to lock onto and contaminate the host.



Links are attached below to read the full article.
Link One
Link Two

Breakthrough: Scientists reverse aging in human cells

Researchers in the Universities of Exeter and Brighton, both in the United Kingdom, carried out a study. The researchers experimented with genes called "splicing factors" which are a type of protein, that tends to become inactive as humans age. The researchers were capable of taking older human cells and physically rejuvenate them by applying chemical compounds called reversatrol analogues. Resveratrol is a substance found in red wine, peanuts, grapes and dark chocolate.This would make the older cells appear and behave like young cells again.

I found this article very interesting because researchers are finding ways of making society healthier, especially the elderly population because their old cells would be regaining features of the youth. This would decrease the deterioration of the human body as age progressed. The discovery could possible lead to therapies which could help people age better avoiding risks like stroke or illnesses.





https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171107113145.htm


https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320017.php

A Device that turns a smartphone into a Molecular Microscope

Everyone knows how time-consuming, expensive, and difficult the lab testing process is not only for the patients but also for the physicians. First, they have to take patient's samples, then send it to an independent lab, after that wait for the results to come back. Moreover; if it is for diseases like tuberculosis and cancer the course of treatment depends on the DNA of the disease, and that process is even more lengthy and expensive as they have to look for gene mutations. According to an article on popular science, with the help of a new device one can cut directly to the chase. This device can be connected to a normal smartphone and can help discover mutations in cells' DNA and can help save time and resources. 

This device has a 3D-printed exterior, which contains two lasers, a white LED, and a lens. It also has a filter that turns a smartphone’s camera into a molecular microscope. To use this phone based microscope, the scientists first take a patient’s sample and treat it with chemicals. This results in the attachment of fluorescent molecules to a specific gene mutation. The device then analyzed the sample. If the device is able to detect those glowing tags, then it is certain that the cell’s DNA contains a mutation. The article also mentioned that this device could be bought for about $500 dollars. This is an awesome device and the price is not that high considering the price of a regular microscope. I think this device will be a lifesaver, in this case, a time saver for many physicians.

Infinite sunscreen made from DNA.

A news article from Popular Science gives credit to a group of scientist in discovering a transforming way to stop skin cancer. Their report is featured in Science Reports and found that DNA crystals helps in absorbing heavy amounts of UV light. This finding could open eyes towards the skincare culture and also the prevention of skin cancer. When DNA film is coated on to the skin, it hydrates skin cells for a very long time by slowing the cell's water evaporation. The sun has exposed human skin to great amounts of carcinogen for awhile which unfortunately leads to massive amounts of skin cancer patients . But Popular Science suggest maybe a sunscreen could be created after all of this. The report give due to the DNA's "optical, novel electrical, and biosensing properties". Could the ending of skin cancer be coming soon? Hopefully a revolutionary sunscreen could be hitting stores in the near future.