At the Longevity Summit Dublin 2024, Björn Schumacher delivered a keynote discussing the role of DNA repair in ageing and how the inhibition of the DREAM complex can enhance all major DNA repair pathways. Schumacher explained how targeting these repair mechanisms could offer novel strategies for extending human healthspan and reducing the risk of age-related diseases like cancer​.

Key Points:

• Demographic Ageing and Multimorbidity: Björn Schumacher highlighted the global challenge of ageing, focusing on the increase in multimorbidity—where individuals are more likely to suffer from multiple chronic diseases as they age, particularly after the fifth decade of life.
• DNA Damage and Ageing: Schumacher emphasized how DNA damage is a key driver of ageing, leading to genetic mutations, cell death, and systemic inflammation. These factors contribute to both cancer and the ageing process itself.
• Germline vs. Somatic Cells: He explained that while germ cells have exceptional DNA repair mechanisms to maintain genomic stability through generations, somatic cells (which form the body) have more limited repair capacities, which leads to ageing and eventual death.
• The DREAM Complex: Schumacher presented his team’s discovery of the DREAM complex, a transcriptional repressor that limits DNA repair in somatic cells. By inhibiting the DREAM complex, they were able to enhance DNA repair mechanisms across various pathways.
• Inhibition of the DREAM Complex: Using harmine, a natural compound, his team demonstrated that inhibiting the DREAM complex improves DNA repair, offering resistance to DNA damage in both animal models and human cells.
• Application to Ageing and Cancer: The inhibition of the DREAM complex not only shows potential in delaying ageing by enhancing DNA repair but also offers a promising strategy to reduce mutation rates, potentially lowering the risk of cancer and other age-related diseases.