A disease similarity approach identifies short-lived Niemann-Pick type C disease mice with accelerated brain aging as a novel mouse model for Alzheimer's disease and aging research.

Since its first description in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been the most common type of dementia. Initially thought to be caused by age-associated accumulation of plaques, in recent years, research has increasingly associated AD with lysosomal storage and metabolic disorders, and the explanation of its pathogenesis has shifted from amyloid and tau accumulation to oxidative stress and impaired lipid and glucose metabolism aggravated by hypoxic conditions. However, the underlying mechanisms linking those cellular processes and conditions to disease progression have yet to be defined. Here, we applied a disease similarity approach to identify unknown molecular targets of AD by using transcriptomic data from congenital diseases known to increase AD risk, namely Down Syndrome, Niemann Pick Disease Type C (NPC), and Mucopolysaccharidoses I. We uncovered common pathways, hub genes, and miRNAs across in vitro and in vivo models of these diseases as potential molecular targets for neuroprotection and amelioration of AD pathology, many of which have never been associated with AD. We then investigated common molecular alterations in brain samples from an NPC disease mouse model by juxtaposing them with brain samples of both human and mouse models of AD. Detailed phenotypic and molecular analyses revealed NPCmut mouse as a novel, short-lived in vivo model of AD characterized by accelerated brain aging, concluding that NPCmut mouse model can serve as a potential short-lived in vivo model for AD research and for understanding molecular factors affecting brain aging. This research represents the first comprehensive approach to congenital disease association with neurodegeneration and a new perspective on AD research while highlighting shortcomings and lack of correlation in diverse in vitro models. Our findings provide a foundation for future animal and clinical studies and will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the observed association between neurological congenital diseases and AD, thus has the potential to accelerate diagnostic and therapeutic applications against common types of dementia.

Nature of epigenetic aging from a single-cell perspective.

Age-related changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) form the basis of the most robust predictors of age-epigenetic clocks-but a clear mechanistic understanding of exactly which aspects of aging are quantified by these clocks is lacking. Here, to clarify the nature of epigenetic aging, we juxtapose the dynamics of tissue and single-cell DNAm in mice. We compare these changes during early development with those observed during adult aging in mice, and corroborate our analyses with a single-cell RNA sequencing analysis within the same multiomics dataset. We show that epigenetic aging involves co-regulated changes as well as a major stochastic component, and this is consistent with transcriptional patterns. We further support the finding of stochastic epigenetic aging by direct tissue and single-cell DNAm analyses and modeling of aging DNAm trajectories with a stochastic process akin to radiocarbon decay. Finally, we describe a single-cell algorithm for the identification of co-regulated and stochastic CpG clusters showing consistent transcriptomic coordination patterns. Together, our analyses increase our understanding of the basis of epigenetic clocks and highlight potential opportunities for targeting aging and evaluating longevity interventions.

A torpor-like state (TLS) in mice slows blood epigenetic aging and prolongs healthspan.

Torpor and hibernation are extreme physiological adaptations of homeotherms associated with pro-longevity effects. Yet the underlying mechanisms of how torpor affects aging, and whether hypothermic and hypometabolic states can be induced to slow aging and increase health span, remain unknown. We demonstrate that the activity of a spatially defined neuronal population in the avMLPA, which has previously been identified as a torpor-regulating brain region, is sufficient to induce a torpor like state (TLS) in mice. Prolonged induction of TLS slows epigenetic aging across multiple tissues and improves health span. We isolate the effects of decreased metabolic rate, long-term caloric restriction, and decreased core body temperature (Tb) on blood epigenetic aging and find that the pro-longevity effect of torpor-like states is mediated by decreased Tb. Taken together, our findings provide novel mechanistic insight into the pro-longevity effects of torpor and hibernation and support the growing body of evidence that Tb is an important mediator of aging processes.

AgeMeta: Quantitative Gene Expression Database of Mammalian Aging.

AgeMeta is a database that provides systemic and quantitative description of mammalian aging at the level of gene expression. It encompasses transcriptomic changes with age across various tissues of humans, mice, and rats, based on a comprehensive meta-analysis of 122 publicly available gene expression datasets from 26 studies. AgeMeta provides an intuitive visual interface for quantification of aging-associated transcriptomics at the level of individual genes and functional groups of genes, allowing easy comparison among various species and tissues. Additionally, all the data in the database can be downloaded and analyzed independently. Overall, this work contributes to the understanding of the complex network of biological processes underlying mammalian aging and supports future advancements in this field. AgeMeta is freely available at: https://age-meta.com/.

Multi-omics characterization of partial chemical reprogramming reveals evidence of cell rejuvenation.

Partial reprogramming by cyclic short-term expression of Yamanaka factors holds promise for shifting cells to younger states and consequently delaying the onset of many diseases of aging. However, the delivery of transgenes and potential risk of teratoma formation present challenges for in vivo applications. Recent advances include the use of cocktails of compounds to reprogram somatic cells, but the characteristics and mechanisms of partial cellular reprogramming by chemicals remain unclear. Here, we report a multi-omics characterization of partial chemical reprogramming in fibroblasts from young and aged mice. We measured the effects of partial chemical reprogramming on the epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, phosphoproteome, and metabolome. At the transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome levels, we saw widescale changes induced by this treatment, with the most notable signature being an upregulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, at the metabolome level, we observed a reduction in the accumulation of aging-related metabolites. Using both transcriptomic and epigenetic clock-based analyses, we show that partial chemical reprogramming reduces the biological age of mouse fibroblasts. We demonstrate that these changes have functional impacts, as evidenced by changes in cellular respiration and mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, these results illuminate the potential for chemical reprogramming reagents to rejuvenate aged biological systems and warrant further investigation into adapting these approaches for in vivo age reversal.

Downregulation of mitochondrial metabolism is a driver for fast skeletal muscle loss during mouse aging.

Skeletal muscle aging is characterized by the loss of muscle mass, strength and function, mainly attributed to the atrophy of glycolytic fibers. Underlying mechanisms driving the skeletal muscle functional impairment are yet to be elucidated. To unbiasedly uncover its molecular mechanisms, we recurred to gene expression and metabolite profiling in a glycolytic muscle, Extensor digitorum longus (EDL), from young and aged C57BL/6JRj mice. Employing multi-omics approaches we found that the main age-related changes are connected to mitochondria, exhibiting a downregulation in mitochondrial processes. Consistent is the altered mitochondrial morphology. We further compared our mouse EDL aging signature with human data from the GTEx database, reinforcing the idea that our model may recapitulate muscle loss in humans. We are able to show that age-related mitochondrial downregulation is likely to be detrimental, as gene expression signatures from commonly used lifespan extending interventions displayed the opposite direction compared to our EDL aging signature.

Senolytic therapy alleviates physiological human brain aging and COVID-19 neuropathology.

Aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is linked to severe neurological manifestations. Senescent cells contribute to brain aging, but the impact of virus-induced senescence on neuropathologies is unknown. Here we show that senescent cells accumulate in aged human brain organoids and that senolytics reduce age-related inflammation and rejuvenate transcriptomic aging clocks. In postmortem brains of patients with severe COVID-19 we observed increased senescent cell accumulation compared with age-matched controls. Exposure of human brain organoids to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induced cellular senescence, and transcriptomic analysis revealed a unique SARS-CoV-2 inflammatory signature. Senolytic treatment of infected brain organoids blocked viral replication and prevented senescence in distinct neuronal populations. In human-ACE2-overexpressing mice, senolytics improved COVID-19 clinical outcomes, promoted dopaminergic neuron survival and alleviated viral and proinflammatory gene expression. Collectively our results demonstrate an important role for cellular senescence in driving brain aging and SARS-CoV-2-induced neuropathology, and a therapeutic benefit of senolytic treatments.

Increased hyaluronan by naked mole-rat Has2 improves healthspan in mice.

Abundant high-molecular-mass hyaluronic acid (HMM-HA) contributes to cancer resistance and possibly to the longevity of the longest-lived rodent-the naked mole-rat1,2. To study whether the benefits of HMM-HA could be transferred to other animal species, we generated a transgenic mouse overexpressing naked mole-rat hyaluronic acid synthase 2 gene (nmrHas2). nmrHas2 mice showed an increase in hyaluronan levels in several tissues, and a lower incidence of spontaneous and induced cancer, extended lifespan and improved healthspan. The transcriptome signature of nmrHas2 mice shifted towards that of longer-lived species. The most notable change observed in nmrHas2 mice was attenuated inflammation across multiple tissues. HMM-HA reduced inflammation through several pathways, including a direct immunoregulatory effect on immune cells, protection from oxidative stress and improved gut barrier function during ageing. These beneficial effects were conferred by HMM-HA and were not specific to the nmrHas2 gene. These findings demonstrate that the longevity mechanism that evolved in the naked mole-rat can be exported to other species, and open new paths for using HMM-HA to improve lifespan and healthspan.

Multi-omic rejuvenation and life span extension on exposure to youthful circulation.

Heterochronic parabiosis (HPB) is known for its functional rejuvenation effects across several mouse tissues. However, its impact on biological age and long-term health is unknown. Here we performed extended (3-month) HPB, followed by a 2-month detachment period of anastomosed pairs. Old detached mice exhibited improved physiological parameters and lived longer than control isochronic mice. HPB drastically reduced the epigenetic age of blood and liver based on several clock models using two independent platforms. Remarkably, this rejuvenation effect persisted even after 2 months of detachment. Transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles of anastomosed mice showed an intermediate phenotype between old and young, suggesting a global multi-omic rejuvenation effect. In addition, old HPB mice showed gene expression changes opposite to aging but akin to several life span-extending interventions. Altogether, we reveal that long-term HPB results in lasting epigenetic and transcriptome remodeling, culminating in the extension of life span and health span.

Multi-omics characterization of partial chemical reprogramming reveals evidence of cell rejuvenation.

Partial reprogramming by cyclic short-term expression of Yamanaka factors holds promise for shifting cells to younger states and consequently delaying the onset of many diseases of aging. However, the delivery of transgenes and potential risk of teratoma formation present challenges for in vivo applications. Recent advances include the use of cocktails of compounds to reprogram somatic cells, but the characteristics and mechanisms of partial cellular reprogramming by chemicals remain unclear. Here, we report a multi-omics characterization of partial chemical reprogramming in fibroblasts from young and aged mice. We measured the effects of partial chemical reprogramming on the epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, phosphoproteome, and metabolome. At the transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome levels, we saw widescale changes induced by this treatment, with the most notable signature being an upregulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, at the metabolome level, we observed a reduction in the accumulation of aging-related metabolites. Using both transcriptomic and epigenetic clock-based analyses, we show that partial chemical reprogramming reduces the biological age of mouse fibroblasts. We demonstrate that these changes have functional impacts, as evidenced by changes in cellular respiration and mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, these results illuminate the potential for chemical reprogramming reagents to rejuvenate aged biological systems and warrant further investigation into adapting these approaches for in vivo age reversal.

Chemically induced reprogramming to reverse cellular aging.

A hallmark of eukaryotic aging is a loss of epigenetic information, a process that can be reversed. We have previously shown that the ectopic induction of the Yamanaka factors OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4 (OSK) in mammals can restore youthful DNA methylation patterns, transcript profiles, and tissue function, without erasing cellular identity, a process that requires active DNA demethylation. To screen for molecules that reverse cellular aging and rejuvenate human cells without altering the genome, we developed high-throughput cell-based assays that distinguish young from old and senescent cells, including transcription-based aging clocks and a real-time nucleocytoplasmic compartmentalization (NCC) assay. We identify six chemical cocktails, which, in less than a week and without compromising cellular identity, restore a youthful genome-wide transcript profile and reverse transcriptomic age. Thus, rejuvenation by age reversal can be achieved, not only by genetic, but also chemical means.

Distinct longevity mechanisms across and within species and their association with aging.

Lifespan varies within and across species, but the general principles of its control remain unclear. Here, we conducted multi-tissue RNA-seq analyses across 41 mammalian species, identifying longevity signatures and examining their relationship with transcriptomic biomarkers of aging and established lifespan-extending interventions. An integrative analysis uncovered shared longevity mechanisms within and across species, including downregulated Igf1 and upregulated mitochondrial translation genes, and unique features, such as distinct regulation of the innate immune response and cellular respiration. Signatures of long-lived species were positively correlated with age-related changes and enriched for evolutionarily ancient essential genes, involved in proteolysis and PI3K-Akt signaling. Conversely, lifespan-extending interventions counteracted aging patterns and affected younger, mutable genes enriched for energy metabolism. The identified biomarkers revealed longevity interventions, including KU0063794, which extended mouse lifespan and healthspan. Overall, this study uncovers universal and distinct strategies of lifespan regulation within and across species and provides tools for discovering longevity interventions.

Biological age is increased by stress and restored upon recovery.

Aging is classically conceptualized as an ever-increasing trajectory of damage accumulation and loss of function, leading to increases in morbidity and mortality. However, recent in vitro studies have raised the possibility of age reversal. Here, we report that biological age is fluid and exhibits rapid changes in both directions. At epigenetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic levels, we find that the biological age of young mice is increased by heterochronic parabiosis and restored following surgical detachment. We also identify transient changes in biological age during major surgery, pregnancy, and severe COVID-19 in humans and/or mice. Together, these data show that biological age undergoes a rapid increase in response to diverse forms of stress, which is reversed following recovery from stress. Our study uncovers a new layer of aging dynamics that should be considered in future studies. The elevation of biological age by stress may be a quantifiable and actionable target for future interventions.

Rilmenidine extends lifespan and healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans via a nischarin I1-imidazoline receptor.

Repurposing drugs capable of extending lifespan and health span has a huge untapped potential in translational geroscience. Here, we searched for known compounds that elicit a similar gene expression signature to caloric restriction and identified rilmenidine, an I1-imidazoline receptor agonist and prescription medication for the treatment of hypertension. We then show that treating Caenorhabditis elegans with rilmenidine at young and older ages increases lifespan. We also demonstrate that the stress-resilience, health span, and lifespan benefits of rilmenidine treatment in C. elegans are mediated by the I1-imidazoline receptor nish-1, implicating this receptor as a potential longevity target. Consistent with the shared caloric-restriction-mimicking gene signature, supplementing rilmenidine to calorically restricted C. elegans, genetic reduction of TORC1 function, or rapamycin treatment did not further increase lifespan. The rilmenidine-induced longevity required the transcription factors FOXO/DAF-16 and NRF1,2,3/SKN-1. Furthermore, we find that autophagy, but not AMPK signaling, was needed for rilmenidine-induced longevity. Moreover, transcriptional changes similar to caloric restriction were observed in liver and kidney tissues in mice treated with rilmenidine. Together, these results reveal a geroprotective and potential caloric restriction mimetic effect by rilmenidine that warrant fresh lines of inquiry into this compound.

Rapamycin treatment during development extends life span and health span of male mice and Daphnia magna.

Development is tightly connected to aging, but whether pharmacologically targeting development can extend life remains unknown. Here, we subjected genetically diverse UMHET3 mice to rapamycin for the first 45 days of life. The mice grew slower and remained smaller than controls for their entire lives. Their reproductive age was delayed without affecting offspring numbers. The treatment was sufficient to extend the median life span by 10%, with the strongest effect in males, and helped to preserve health as measured by frailty index scores, gait speed, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Mechanistically, the liver transcriptome and epigenome of treated mice were younger at the completion of treatment. Analogous to mice, rapamycin exposure during development robustly extended the life span of Daphnia magna and reduced its body size. Overall, the results demonstrate that short-term rapamycin treatment during development is a novel longevity intervention that acts by slowing down development and aging, suggesting that aging may be targeted already early in life.

Characterization of naked mole-rat hematopoiesis reveals unique stem and progenitor cell patterns and neotenic traits.

Naked mole rats (NMRs) are the longest-lived rodents yet their stem cell characteristics remain enigmatic. Here, we comprehensively mapped the NMR hematopoietic landscape and identified unique features likely contributing to longevity. Adult NMRs form red blood cells in spleen and marrow, which comprise a myeloid bias toward granulopoiesis together with decreased B-lymphopoiesis. Remarkably, youthful blood and marrow single-cell transcriptomes and cell compositions are largely maintained until at least middle age. Similar to primates, the primitive stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) compartment is marked by CD34 and THY1. Stem cell polarity is seen for Tubulin but not CDC42, and is not lost until 12 years of age. HSPC respiration rates are as low as in purified human stem cells, in concert with a strong expression signature for fatty acid metabolism. The pool of quiescent stem cells is higher than in mice, and the cell cycle of hematopoietic cells is prolonged. By characterizing the NMR hematopoietic landscape, we identified resilience phenotypes such as an increased quiescent HSPC compartment, absence of age-related decline, and neotenic traits likely geared toward longevity.

Evidence that conserved essential genes are enriched for pro-longevity factors.

At the cellular level, many aspects of aging are conserved across species. This has been demonstrated by numerous studies in simple model organisms like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabdits elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster. Because most genetic screens examine loss of function mutations or decreased expression of genes through reverse genetics, essential genes have often been overlooked as potential modulators of the aging process. By taking the approach of increasing the expression level of a subset of conserved essential genes, we found that 21% of these genes resulted in increased replicative lifespan in S. cerevisiae. This is greater than the ~ 3.5% of genes found to affect lifespan upon deletion, suggesting that activation of essential genes may have a relatively disproportionate effect on increasing lifespan. The results of our experiments demonstrate that essential gene overexpression is a rich, relatively unexplored means of increasing eukaryotic lifespan.

Feasibility, effectiveness and cost of a decentralized HCV care model among the general population in Delhi, India.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: India has a significant burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and has committed to achieving national elimination by 2030. This will require a substantial scale-up in testing and treatment. The "HEAD-Start Project Delhi" aimed to enhance HCV diagnosis and treatment pathways among the general population. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at 5 district hospitals (Arm 1: one-stop shop), 15 polyclinics (Arm 2: referral for viral load (VL) testing and treatment) and 62 screening camps (Arm 3: referral for treatment). HCV prevalence, retention in the HCV care cascade, and turn-around time were measured. RESULTS: Between January and September 2019, 37 425 participants were screened for HCV. The median (IQR) age of participants was 35 (26-48) years, with 50.4% male and 49.6% female. A significantly higher proportion of participants in Arm 1 (93.7%) and Arm 3 (90.3%) received a VL test compared with Arm 2 (52.5%, P < .001). Of those confirmed positive, treatment was initiated at significantly higher rates for participants in both Arms 1 (85.6%) and 2 (73.7%) compared to Arm 3 (41.8%, P < .001). Arm 1 was found to be a cost-saving strategy compared to Arm 2, Arm 3, and no action. CONCLUSIONS: Delivery of all services at a single site (district hospitals) resulted in a higher yield of HCV seropositive cases and retention compared with sites where participants were referred elsewhere for VL testing and/or treatment. The highest level of retention in the care cascade was also associated with the shortest turn-around times.

In vivo cyclic induction of the FOXM1 transcription factor delays natural and progeroid aging phenotypes and extends healthspan.

The FOXM1 transcription factor exhibits pleiotropic C-terminal transcriptional and N-terminal non-transcriptional functions in various biological processes critical for cellular homeostasis. We previously found that FOXM1 repression during cellular aging underlies the senescence phenotypes, which were vastly restored by overexpressing transcriptionally active FOXM1. Yet, it remains unknown whether increased expression of FOXM1 can delay organismal aging. Here, we show that in vivo cyclic induction of an N-terminal truncated FOXM1 transgene on progeroid and naturally aged mice offsets aging-associated repression of full-length endogenous Foxm1, reinstating both transcriptional and non-transcriptional functions. This translated into mitigation of several cellular aging hallmarks, as well as molecular and histopathological progeroid features of the short-lived Hutchison-Gilford progeria mouse model, significantly extending its lifespan. FOXM1 transgene induction also reinstated endogenous Foxm1 levels in naturally aged mice, delaying aging phenotypes while extending their lifespan. Thus, we disclose that FOXM1 genetic rewiring can delay senescence-associated progeroid and natural aging pathologies.