Key points from article :
LMNA, a gene coding for lamins, is linked to Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria (HGP).
HGP is a disease that causes premature ageing, currently affecting around 390 children.
Their average life expectancy is around 13 years, some up to 20 years.
Nuclei of senescent cells examined for lamin content; cells undergoing senescence lacked lamin B1.
B1 is a critical scaffold of the nucleus and a useful biomarker of ageing.
Activation of several tumor-suppressing pathways linked with senescence induce lamin B1 loss.
However, any of the other positive regulators, did not created this effect.
This suggests a link between lamins and cancer.
Genomic instability has been linked to both cancer and ageing.
Also linked to replicative senescence and can potentially induce it in somatic cells.
Lamin loss is correlated with epigenetic changes and damage over time.
Now researchers are trying to deliver new lamins to cells to increase their overall lifespan.
