Researchers discovered the link between healing and aging by studying the regenerative abilities of a small sea creature called Hidraktinia Symbiolongicarpus. This creature, which can grow new bodies just from its mouth, suggests that senescence, which is commonly associated with aging, may play a role in its extreme regenerative abilities.
A cousin of jellyfish and coral, it can regenerate its entire body with the help of “senescent” cells.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and partners have uncovered new findings about healing and aging by studying a tiny sea creature capable of regenerating its entire body using just its mouth. They analyzed the RNA sequence Hidraktinia Symbiolongicarpussmall, tube-shaped animal creatures that live inside the shells of hermit crabs.
Same as Hyractinia As they began to regenerate new bodies, the researchers discovered molecular signatures associated with the biological process of aging, also known as senescence. According to research published in Cell report, Hyractinia This suggests that the fundamental biological processes of healing and aging are interrelated, providing a new perspective on how aging progresses.
“Studies like this that explore the biology of unusual organisms reveal how universal many biological processes are and how much we still have to understand their function, relationships and evolution,” said Charles Rotimi, director of the Intramural Institute. A research program at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health. “Findings like this have great potential to provide new insights into human biology.”
Hydractinia’s regeneration-driving stem cells are stored in the lower part of the animal’s body, far from the mouth. Credit: Darryl Lyga, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Unraveling the evolutionary origins of fundamental biological processes, such as aging and healing, is critical to understanding human health and disease. Humans have some regenerative capacities, such as healing broken bones or even regenerating damaged hearts. Some other animals, such as salamanders and zebrafish, can replace entire limbs and regenerate various organs. However, simple bodied animals, e.g Hyractiniaoften have extreme regenerative abilities, such as growing a new body from a piece of tissue.
The regenerative role of aging differs from findings in human cells. “Most of the research on aging is related to chronic inflammation, cancer, and age-related diseases,” said Andy Paxivanis, Ph.D., senior scientist at NHGRI and author of the study. “Normally, senescent cells remain in humans, and these cells cause chronic inflammation and lead to aging of the surrounding cells. HyractiniaWe can learn how aging can be beneficial and expand our understanding of aging and healing.
Previously, researchers discovered this Hyractinia It contains a special group of stem cells for regeneration. Stem cells can change into other types of cells and are therefore useful in creating new body parts. In humans, stem cells primarily function in development, but highly regenerative organisms favor them Hyractinia Use stem cells throughout their life. Hyractinia It stores stem cells that drive regeneration in its lower body.
However, when the researchers removed the mouth – the part that is far from where the stem cells are located – the mouth would grow a new body. Unlike human cells, which control their own fate, mature cells in some highly regenerative organisms can revert to stem cells when the organism is injured, although this process is not well understood. Therefore, researchers assume so Hyractinia New stem cells must be generated and molecular signals that can direct this process must be sought.
When the RNA sequences indicated aging, the researchers scanned the genome Hyractinia For sequences such as genes associated with aging in humans. Of the three genes they identified, one gene was “activated” in cells near the animal slaughter site. When the researchers deleted this gene, the animals’ ability to develop senescent cells was hampered. Without senescent cells, animals cannot develop new stem cells and cannot regenerate.
The researchers tracked the senescent cells inside Hyractinia To find out how these animals avoid the bad effects of aging. Unexpectedly, the animals expelled old cells from their mouths. Although humans cannot get rid of senescent cells easily, the role of aging-related genes in them can eliminate them Hyractinia Suggests how the aging process has evolved.
We humans have the last common ancestor Hyractinia – and their relatives, jellyfish and coral – are more than 600 million years old, and these animals never age at all. Because of these factors, Hyractinia This can provide important insights into our ancient animal ancestors. Therefore, the researchers suggest that regeneration may have been an early function of aging in ancient animals.
“We still don’t understand how senescent cells trigger regeneration or how widely this process occurs in the animal kingdom,” said Dr. Paxivanis. “Fortunately, by studying some of our distant animal relatives, we can begin to uncover some of the secrets of regeneration and aging – secrets that could ultimately advance the field of regenerative medicine and also the study of age-related diseases.”
Reference: “Cellular reprogramming caused by aging leads to whole body rejuvenation” by Miguel Salinas Saavedra, Gabriel Febremarsa, Helen R. Krasovec, Andreas D. Horkan, and Uri Paksevanis, June 30, 2023, Cell report.
doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112687
2023-09-14 15:18:01
#Sponge #sea #creatures #rewrite #science
