But new experiments are planned. For example, the team will purposely encourage expression of transposable elements to see if that undermines health and lifespan. Another approach could be to use the powerful CRISPR gene editing technique to specifically disable the ability of transposable elements to mobilize within the genome. If that intervention affected lifespan, it would be telling as well, Helfand said.
The wording is a little ambiguous as to whether the CRISPR approach is merely being contemplated, or whether they’re just floating the idea. Working with flies first makes sense, since it gives you a faster feedback loop on whether transposon elimination affects lifespan.
Stephen Helfand, the researcher quoted in the article, seems not to have published a new article since 2016, when the report I linked was published appears not to have updated his publication page since 2016, but you can find his later works on Google Scholar by searching his name (SL Helfand).
I’ve emailed him to ask whether this idea has been acted upon. I’ll post back here if I hear from him. In the meantime, I’m going to investigate the work of the followup project and the leaders associated with it.
It does look like this cluster of researchers is making progress.
Treatment of aged mice with the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor lamivudine downregulated IFN-I activation and age-associated inflammation (inflammaging) in several tissues.
Lamivudine is also called 3TC, and it’s already approved for use against HIV. A clinical trial on its efficacy against Alzheimer’s is underway and scheduled to be complete in June 2022.
It does sound like this research is already planned or underway.
The wording is a little ambiguous as to whether the CRISPR approach is merely being contemplated, or whether they’re just floating the idea. Working with flies first makes sense, since it gives you a faster feedback loop on whether transposon elimination affects lifespan.
Stephen Helfand,
the researcher quoted in the article, seems not to have published a new article since 2016, when the report I linked was publishedappears not to have updated his publication page since 2016, but you can find his later works on Google Scholar by searching his name (SL Helfand).I’ve emailed him to ask whether this idea has been acted upon. I’ll post back here if I hear from him. In the meantime, I’m going to investigate the work of the followup project and the leaders associated with it.
It does look like this cluster of researchers is making progress.
Lamivudine is also called 3TC, and it’s already approved for use against HIV. A clinical trial on its efficacy against Alzheimer’s is underway and scheduled to be complete in June 2022.
Bingo, thanks.