A genomic search for novel rejuvenation cocktails
As we age, our cells undergo systematic epigenetic changes that can be read as a molecular clock (e.g. methylation clock). Reprogramming cells with pluripotent Yamanaka factors) appears to reset this aging clock and restore a “youthful” cellular state. This includes Dr. Lu’s previous work, suggesting aged cells have a record of youthful information and can be accessed for rejuvenation. However, few of the myriad alternative possibilities have been tested, making it unlikely that the Yamanaka factors represent the best gene cocktail for rejuvenation. Dr. Lu’s project will combinatorially search the genome of mouse and human through single cell genomic technologies and machine learning, to hopefully reveal novel gene cocktails that confer robust rejuvenation without loss of cell identity, yielding optimized paths to rejuvenate specific cell types. The gene cocktails identified could be utilized to target tissue-specific age-related diseases in a more efficient and safe way than conventional reprogramming.
