3 replies to this topic

[ihatesnow]

http://medicalxpress...eres-genes.html

[gamesguru]

selective breeding afterall is what turned grass into corn

This new technique based on epigenetic changes that is described today in the pages of Nature Communications, avoids the manipulation of genes in order to delay molecular ageing. The study also underlines the importance of this new strategy in generating embryonic stem cells and iPS cells with long telomeres for use in regenerative medicine.

 

and dogs might have been selectively bred in the wrong direction

... selective breeding of canines has produced a relatively large pool of animals whose genetic inheritance has included a reduced life span.

 

kaempherol inhibits telomerase. also relevant

Retinoids induce differentiation and downregulate telomerase activity and N-Myc to increase sensitivity to flavonoids for apoptosis in human malignant neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.
Das A1, Banik NL, Ray SK. (2009)

Human malignant neuroblastoma is characterized by poor differentiation and uncontrolled proliferation of immature neuroblasts. Retinoids such as all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA, retinoic acid), 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-CRA), and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide (4-HPR) at low doses are capable of inducing differentiation, while flavonoids such as (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and genistein (GST) at relatively high dose can induce apoptosis. We used combination of retinoid and flavonoid for controlling growth of malignant neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Cells were treated with a retinoid (1 microM ATRA, 1 microM 13-CRA, or 0.5 microM 4-HPR) for 7 days and then with a flavonoid (25 microM EGCG or 25 microM GST) for 24 h. Treatment of cells with a low dose of a retinoid for 7 days induced neuronal differentiation with downregulation of telomerase activity and N-Myc but overexpression of neurofilament protein (NFP) and subsequent treatment with a relatively high dose of a flavonoid for 24 h increased apoptosis in the differentiated cells. Besides, retinoids reduced the levels of inflammatory and angiogenic factors. Apoptosis was associated with increases in intracellular free [Ca2+], Bax expression, cytochrome c release from mitochondria and activities of calpain and caspases. Decreases in expression of calpastatin (endogenous calpain inhibitor) and baculovirus inhibitor-of-apoptosis repeat containing (BIRC) proteins (endogenous caspase inhibitors) favored apoptosis. Treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with EGCG activated caspase-8, indicating induction of the receptor-mediated pathway of apoptosis. Based on our observation, we conclude that combination of a retinoid and a flavonoid worked synergistically for controlling the malignant growth of human neuroblastoma cells.

Edited by gamesguru, 10 June 2016 - 02:13 AM.

[corb]

A couple of things to take notice off:
Mice and chickens are known to produce cells with mega-telomeres spontaneously in vitro - of course it is quite possible this observation has come about because most in vitro experimentation is done with those animals but at the same time as far as I know no one has managed to replicate that in a human cell line that isn't cancerous just yet.

 

The other thing is most lab mice have telomeres longer than wild mice. In fact they have telomeres longer than a human. So I'd be interested to read the paper and see which mice Blasco is using for the comparison - wild or long-telomered lab mice.

 

I like their idea to translate this to stem cells though. It's in line with SENS rather than much more speculative gene therapies.

[gamesguru]

they just need to repeat the study with more mice and then humans. seems it could promote telomeres and block cancer at the same time. and im sure they controlled for mouse type. otherwise that would be pure chicanery on their behalf.