DNA ‘barcodes' shed light on how the blood ages
Scientists have discovered 'barcodes' embedded in DNA that shed light on how the blood ages.
It is hoped the discovery could help prevent illnesses such as blood cancer or heart disease before symptoms appear.
It could also pave the way for the exploration of therapies that slow down or reverse ageing, researchers suggested.
The study, published in the journal Nature, identified stem cells that gradually take over blood production between the ages of 50 and 60.
These cells, known as 'clones', prefer to produce myeloid cells, a type of immune cell linked to chronic inflammation.
Young people have between 50,000 and 200,000 stem cells, which are responsible for replacing between 100 billion and 200 billion blood cells every day.
'As we age, some of these stem cells disappear and their function needs to be taken over by others, which then expand,' said Dr Lars Velten, group leader at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona.
'And by the age of 50 or 60, we get these clones. This is a group of cells that stem from the same mother stem cell.
'And these clones are important because they are first step in leukaemia formation, and they also contribute to inflammation, because the blood cells that derive from them are emitting molecules that fuel the inflammation process, and therefore there's also this link to heart disease risk.'
According to Dr Velten, tracking every blood cell back to its original stem cell has been possible only in animal research.
His team looked at changes in the chemical tags, known as methylation marks, attached to DNA.
Theses tags help cells know which genes to switch on and off, and when a stem cell divides, methylation marks are copied to its daughter cells.
'This is sort of like having a unique barcode for every cell when we're young, and then this barcode identifies all the descendants, all the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, of these cells as we age,' Dr Velten added.
To read these 'barcodes', scientists developed a technique known as EPI-Clone.
They used it to reconstruct the history of blood production in both mice and humans, tracing which stem cells contributed to making blood.
In older mice, EPI-Clone showed that blood stem cells comprised just a few dozen large clones.
The pattern was also found in humans, with larger clones taking over blood production from age 50.
This discovery could one day allow doctors to look at how a patient's blood is ageing, potentially years before diseases develop, researchers suggested.
Dr Alejo Rodriguez-Fraticelli, also group leader at IRB Barcelona, said: 'The idea is that this could be an early intervention tool for cancers, starting with blood cancers, where we know that expansions in these stem cells identify individuals that are at risk of developing blood malignancies.'
The study also found many of the dominant clones produced myeloid cells, which are linked to chronic inflammation.
Research using mice has shown removing these particular clones can rejuvenate blood stem cells.
Researchers are hopeful the tool could pave the way for the exploration of rejuvenation therapies in humans as it allows for scientists to pinpoint problematic clones.
Dr Rodriguez-Fraticelli added: 'If we target the expanded clones, there may be the hope that we may ablate them and then let the diversity of the hematopoietic system, the blood regeneration system, really rejuvenate.'
Dr Velten said: 'If we want to move beyond generic anti-ageing treatments and into real precision medicine for ageing, this is exactly the kind of tool we need.
'We can't fix what we can't see and for the first time, EPI-Clone can facilitate this for humans.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Health Secretary to unveil 'death of the doctor's letter' in digital first switch to help slash NHS postage bills
Ministers will today announce the death of the doctor's letter in a bid to slash NHS postage bills. Health Secretary Wes Streeting will unveil plans to switch to a 'digital first' system, with almost all patient communications made via the NHS app. The move, agreed as part of next week's spending review, will mean most patients will no longer receive letters about appointments, check-ups and screening dates. People unable to use the app will be able to continue receiving a postal service, but only as a 'last resort'. The Department of Health said the move would lead to the NHS sending out 50 million fewer letters a year, saving £200 million on stamps and envelopes. However, critics warned it could disadvantage millions of older people who struggle with the latest technology. Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group, said the move would accelerate the trend towards digital communications that risks turning some older people into 'second class citizens' and could result in vulnerable patients missing appointments. Last night Mr Streeting insisted that 'modernising' communications would 'put power in the hands of patients'. 'People are living increasingly busy lives,' he said, 'and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late. 'The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the frontline.' Health sources said Royal Mail had become so unreliable in parts of the country that some letters didn't arrive until after appointment dates or else people didn't open their post in time. Mr Reed told the Mail: 'Many older people do not have smartphones and many of those that do only use them for making calls. There are still a lot of people who do not know how to use apps or who physically cannot navigate them on a tiny screen. 'If you try to force them to use an app then people will miss messages and vital appointments.' Caroline Abrahams, director of Age Concern, said technology brought 'many potential benefits', but added: 'This is a big risk because millions [of older people] do not use computers at all, or only do so for limited purposes. 'If the NHS app is to become the default, then this major change must be accompanied by many more opportunities to help people of all ages to go online if they wish to do so.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
A-ha frontman Morten Harket, 65, diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and doesn't know if he can sing anymore as band writes 'he has been battling his own body' in recent years
A-ha frontman Morten Harket has revealed he has Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is a progressive brain disorder caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. In a statement on the band's website, Morten, 65, said he had undergone several rounds of brain surgery and that he was managing the symptoms of the disease, but admitted he had been 'battling his own body' in recent years. It read: 'This isn't the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is: Morten has Parkinson's disease.' Morten also said he had initially kept the degenerative condition private but has now decided to tell fans and didn't know if he could sing or even perform again. He said: 'I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I've taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: "I use whatever works" From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Part of me wanted to reveal it. Like I said, acknowledging the diagnosis wasn't a problem for me; it's my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me. 'I'm trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline. 'It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects. 'There's so much to weigh up when you're emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general.' He told the band's biographer Jan Omdahl that he has been making the most of advanced technology in treating the disease and has been using a method called deep brain stimulation. His neurologist in Norway is Dr Christina Sundal at NeuroClinic Norway, and she was previously a research fellow with the Parkinson's team at the Mayo Clinic. He revealed he underwent a neurosurgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) in June 2024 in which electrodes were implanted into the left side of his brain and he responded well and many of his physical symptoms practically vanished. In December 2024 he underwent a similar procedure on the right side of his brain, which was also successful. His voice has changed with Parkinson's and told Jan: The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future.' He said: 'I don't really know [if I can sing anymore]. I don't feel like singing, and for me that's a sign. I'm broadminded in terms of what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve full technical control. 'The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. As things stand now, that's out of the question. But I don't know whether I'll be able to manage it at some point in the future.' Morten urged fans not to worry, telling them he is now 'going to listen to the professionals'. 'Spend your effort addressing real problems,' he said, 'and know that I am being taken care of. 'Be good servants to nature, the very basis of our existence, and care for the environment while it is still possible to do so. 'Don't worry about me. Find out who you want to be - a process than can be new each and every day.' The singer too revealed that he has been writing lyrics since his diagnosis, but that he's 'not sure' if he'll be able to finish and release them. Parkinson's can affect those diagnosed both physically and mentally. It primarily causes trouble to the brain, parts of which become progressively damaged over years with the disease. It usually affects those over 50, with a number of celebrities ultimately suffering with the disease in the past. Ozzy Osborne, Neil Diamond and Billy Connolly are all currently living with Parkinson's while Muhammad Ali was famously diagnosed just three years after the end of his illustrious boxing career. Doctors said of the heavyweight's illness following his 2016 death: 'Muhammad Ali's disease course, from his late 30s until his death at age 74 years, was chronic and progressive. 'He manifested fatigue hypophonia, bradykinesia, and a masked face, as well as many of the visible motor symptoms of Parkinons's disease.' As evidenced in the Ali case, the disease can in rare cases affect those under the age of 40. Famous US actor Michael J. Fox, 63, was diagnosed at just 29 years old in 1991. The Back To The Future star has spent much of the last 25 years trying to advance scientific research into the disease with his charity, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Formed in 1982 by Harket and his friends Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, A-ha saw a global breakthrough in 1985 with their debut album Hunting High and Low which yielded several hits such as Take On Me and The Sun Always Shines on TV. Take On Me was recently featured in the second season of HBO's hit series The Last of Us when the main character Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, performed an acoustic version of the song. While world-renowned for their success in the 1980s, A-ha continued to release music throughout the 2000s with their latest work including albums such as Memorial Beach, Lifelines and Cast in Steel. Morten has six children, three with his former wife Camilla Malmquist Harket, a daughter with former girlfriend Anne Mette Undlien and another daughter with current partner Inez Andersson.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Switch on those glutes! Suddenly it's all about the bass, and for good reason
I'm staring at the screen, trying to write a joke. It involves a muscle called the gluteus maximus, Roman centurions and possibly a reference to Biggus somebody from Monty Python's Life of Brian. I've been sitting here for over an hour, so long that when I finally stand up I have to hobble and wobble a few steps before I can get my stride back. It's because my glutei maximi are a bit of a joke. I have spent so much of my life literally sitting on this Roman-sounding muscle, staring at screens, trying to think up killer first lines to stories that by middle-age this undernourished workhorse is vocalising its disappointment at my life choices. Everyone seems to be talking about glutes right now and it's not just some fad brought on by Kim Kardashian's internet-breaking bum. Fitness instructors tell us to 'switch on those glutes', or admonish us for having 'lazy' glutes or 'dead butt syndrome'; suddenly, it's all about the bass. And it's for good reason. The gluteal muscles are vital for getting us up and about, yet humanity's increasingly sedentary lifestyle and work are leading to neglect of our glute health, with potentially serious consequences for our overall health. Let's meet the triumvirate of the tush muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Maximus is, as the name suggests, the big one that makes up what might colloquially be known as the butt cheek and which attaches at the back of the pelvis and at the side of the thigh bone. 'Glute max is largely responsible for extending your hips, so pushing your leg behind you,' says associate professor Angie Fearon, a physiotherapist at the University of Canberra. 'If you're standing up and you pushed your leg backwards, that would be that muscle … it pushes you forwards when you're walking, or running or hopping or skipping.' Gluteus medius and minimus take the leg out to the side and manage the rotational movement. These three muscles are vital in keeping the pelvis stable during walking, lifting the leg up and powering us forward. They are also a link from the core muscles in the stomach and the lower back down to the muscles of the legs. Weak gluteal muscles can lead to what Dr Charlotte Ganderton describes as a teapot-style gait, where people tilt their upper body from side to side over their hip as they walk. 'They're actually throwing their whole torso over their hip to be able to clear their foot through, and that obviously has significant consequences on the rest of your body and the joints that are further up from the hip, so the spine,' says Ganderton, a physiotherapist at RMIT and Alphington Sports Medicine in Melbourne. The real problem with neglected gluteal muscles is what they can lead to. 'If you don't have good functioning gluteal muscles, the actual hip joint is the one who takes on those forces,' Ganderton says. 'People that have hip pathology – so hip arthritis, lateral hip pain, which people call gluteal tendinopathy – we know that these individuals have poor hip strength, and they often have very poor hip control when we assess them in the clinic.' The two most common hip conditions that affect particularly older people are hip osteoarthritis and gluteal tendinopathy, which is sometimes also called greater trochanteric pain syndrome or bursitis. 'What we see in people with those conditions is they're often weaker in that area than an asymptomatic control group,' Fearon says. With gluteal tendinopathy, pain develops because weaker gluteal muscles leads people to overuse other muscles, which then cause irritation and inflammation of the tendons and muscles in the outer hip region. And for many, our sedentary lifestyle is to blame – it is very much a case of 'use it or lose it'. Even two weeks of sitting on our backsides with little to no activity can be enough to start deconditioning and diminishing of our muscles. Further on from that, 'the muscle no longer stays as muscle tissue, for the most part – it actually fills with fat and what we call fatty infiltrate', Ganderton says. And once that happens, it can be very challenging to reverse and rebuild the muscle. However the exercises to strengthen the gluteal muscles are actually pretty basic. The simplest one is called a 'gluteal bridge' and just involves lying on your back, planting the soles of your feet on the floor or bed and lifting your pelvis up off that surface. Or while you're lying down, roll on to your side and lift the upper leg upwards to about the width of your shoulders. Ganderton's own research in postmenopausal women with gluteal tendinopathy found that a simple standing exercise could also help. 'Standing on one leg where you've got both knees straight and you just lift up the opposite leg about a centimetre off the floor, so just weight shifting across uses a lot of muscle activity in the leg that's standing on the ground,' she says. For the more active and stable among us, Fearon also recommends squats and walking lunges, carrying weights if you're up to it. Even these simple exercises can make a big difference, Fearon says. 'Say you had 100 people with gluteal tendinopathy, in a large percentage of them, if you got them to do some specific strengthening work for the hip abductors, and you gave them some suitable education, they'd probably all improve or a large percentage of them would.' But at the most basic level, we just need to move more. 'There's really good evidence that shows that if you get up and move every 20 to 30 minutes – get up, do a few squats, go and get a glass of water, go to the photocopier, just get up and move – it actually sets off a whole lot of enzymes in your muscles, which is good,' she says. 'Your brain gets a break and overall you do better.'
