Aging and Age-Related disease
Length-Associated Transcriptome Imbalance
Upon activation, genes generate transcript molecules. Recently, we uncovered that in animals, consistent changes in transcript molecules with age are largely attributed to the length of these molecules (see Stoeger et al., Nature Aging, 2022 and press coverage by Scientific American). This revelation has significant implications for aging research, especially since we also found that the genes encoding the longest transcripts play a role in extending lifespan.
Unstudied Biology of Aging
In recent work, we identified genes that are strongly associated with biological aging but have not yet been characterized for their role in aging (see Richardson et al., eLife, 2023). One of these genes encodes a factor necessary for transcribing long genes, which is highly relevant to our research on the imbalance associated with length in the transcriptome. What secrets might the other genes hold? Further exploration awaits.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia ranks as one of the leading causes of death, with the elderly being disproportionately affected. In collaboration with the Successful Clinical Response In Pneumonia Therapy (SCRIPT) Systems Biology Center, headed by Prof. Richard Wunderink, we've pinpointed conditions that appear conducive to recovery. We recently contributed to a publication focusing on host states (Gao et al., Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2023).