Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in aging but the exact biological causes are still being determined. Here, we show that optogenetically increasing mitochondrial membrane potential during adulthood using a light-activated proton pump improves age-associated phenotypes and extends lifespan in . Our findings provide direct causal evidence that rescuing the age-related decline in mitochondrial membrane potential is sufficient to slow the rate of aging and extend healthspan and lifespan. <<<

Carlos Taboada, Jesse Delia, Maomao Chen, Chenshuo Ma, Xiaorui Peng, Xiaoyi Zhu, Laiming Jiang, Tri Vu, Qifa Zhou, Junjie Yao, Lauren O'Connell, Sönke Johnsen <<<

Transparency in animals is a complex form of camouflage involving mechanisms that reduce light scattering and absorption throughout the organism. In vertebrates, attaining transparency is difficult because their circulatory system is full of red blood cells (RBCs) that strongly attenuate light. Here, we document how glassfrogs overcome this challenge by concealing these cells from view. Using photoacoustic imaging to track RBCs in vivo, we show that resting glassfrogs increase transparency two- to threefold by removing ~89% of their RBCs from circulation and packing them within their liver. Vertebrate transparency thus requires both see-through tissues and active mechanisms that "clear" respiratory pigments from these tissues. Furthermore, glassfrogs' ability to regulate the location, density, and packing of RBCs without clotting offers insight in metabolic, hemodynamic, and blood-clot research. <<<

: The ability to engineer mammalian genomes in a quick and cost-effective way has led to rapid adaptation of CRISPR technology in biomedical research. CRISPR-based engineering has the potential to accelerate drug discovery, to support the reduction of high attrition rate in drug development and to enhance development of cell and gene-based therapies.: How CRISPR technology is transforming drug discovery is discussed in this review. From target identification to target validation in both and models, CRISPR technology is positively impacting the early stages of drug development by providing a straightforward way to genome engineering. This property also attracted attention for CRISPR application in the cell and gene therapy area.: CRISPR technology is rapidly becoming the preferred tool for genome engineering and nowadays it is hard to imagine the drug discovery pipeline without this technology. With the years to come, CRISPR technology will undoubtedly be further refined and will flourish into a mature technology that will play a key role in supporting genome engineering requirements in the drug discovery pipeline as well as in cell and gene therapy development. <<<

Sjors G J G In 't Veld, Mohammad Arkani, Edward Post, Mafalda Antunes-Ferreira, Silvia D'Ambrosi, Daan C L Vessies, Lisa Vermunt, Adrienne Vancura, Mirte Muller, Anna-Larissa N Niemeijer, Jihane Tannous, Laura L Meijer, Tessa Y S Le Large, Giulia Mantini, Niels E Wondergem, Kimberley M Heinhuis, Sandra van Wilpe, A Josien Smits, Esther E E Drees, Eva Roos, Cyra E Leurs, Lee-Ann Tjon Kon Fat, Ewoud J van der Lelij, Govert Dwarshuis, Maarten J Kamphuis, Lisanne E Visser, Romee Harting, Annemijn Gregory, Markus W Schweiger, Laurine E Wedekind, Jip Ramaker, Kenn Zwaan, Heleen Verschueren, Idris Bahce, Adrianus J de Langen, Egbert F Smit, Michel M van den Heuvel, Koen J Hartemink, Marijke J E Kuijpers, Mirjam G A Oude Egbrink, Arjan W Griffioen, Rafael Rossel, T Jeroen N Hiltermann, Elizabeth Lee-Lewandrowski, Kent B Lewandrowski, Philip C De Witt Hamer, Mathilde Kouwenhoven, Jaap C Reijneveld, William P J Leenders, Ann Hoeben, Irma M Verdonck-de Leeuw, C René Leemans, Robert J Baatenburg de Jong, Chris H J Terhaard, Robert P Takes, Johannes A Langendijk, Saskia C de Jager, Adriaan O Kraaijeveld, Gerard Pasterkamp, Minke Smits, Jack A Schalken, Sylwia Łapińska-Szumczyk, Anna Łojkowska, Anna J Żaczek, Henk Lokhorst, Niels W C J van de Donk, Inger Nijhof, Henk-Jan Prins, Josée M Zijlstra, Sander Idema, Johannes C Baayen, Charlotte E Teunissen, Joep Killestein, Marc G Besselink, Lindsay Brammen, Thomas Bachleitner-Hofmann, Farrah Mateen, John T M Plukker, Michal Heger, Quirijn de Mast, Ton Lisman, D Michiel Pegtel, Harm-Jan Bogaard, Jacek Jassem, Anna Supernat, Niven Mehra, Winald Gerritsen, Cornelis D de Kroon, Christianne A R Lok, Jurgen M J Piek, Neeltje Steeghs, Winan J van Houdt, Ruud H Brakenhoff, Gabe S Sonke, Henk M Verheul, Elisa Giovannetti, Geert Kazemier, Siamack Sabrkhany, Ed Schuuring, Erik A Sistermans, Rob Wolthuis, Hanne Meijers-Heijboer, Josephine Dorsman, Cees Oudejans, Bauke Ylstra, Bart A Westerman, Daan van den Broek, Danijela Koppers-Lalic, Pieter Wesseling, R Jonas A Nilsson, W Peter Vandertop, David P Noske, Bakhos A Tannous, Nik Sol, Myron G Best, Thomas Wurdinger <<<

Cancer patients benefit from early tumor detection since treatment outcomes are more favorable for less advanced cancers. Platelets are involved in cancer progression and are considered a promising biosource for cancer detection, as they alter their RNA content upon local and systemic cues. We show that tumor-educated platelet (TEP) RNA-based blood tests enable the detection of 18 cancer types. With 99% specificity in asymptomatic controls, thromboSeq correctly detected the presence of cancer in two-thirds of 1,096 blood samples from stage I-IV cancer patients and in half of 352 stage I-III tumors. Symptomatic controls, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, and benign tumors had increased false-positive test results with an average specificity of 78%. Moreover, thromboSeq determined the tumor site of origin in five different tumor types correctly in over 80% of the cancer patients. These results highlight the potential properties of TEP-derived RNA panels to supplement current approaches for blood-based cancer screening. <<<

Carolina Villarroya-Beltri , Ana Osorio , Raúl Torres-Ruiz , David Gómez-Sánchez , Marianna Trakala , Agustin Sánchez-Belmonte , Fátima Mercadillo , Borja Pitarch , Almudena Hernández-Núñez , Antonio Gómez-Caturla , Daniel Rueda , José Perea , Sandra Rodríguez-Perales , Marcos Malumbres , Miguel Urioste <<<

Aneuploidy is a frequent feature of human tumors. Germline mutations leading to aneuploidy are very rare in humans, and their tumor-promoting properties are mostly unknown at the molecular level. We report here novel germline biallelic mutations in MAD1L1, the gene encoding the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) protein MAD1, in a 36-year-old female with a dozen of neoplasias, including five malignant tumors. Functional studies in peripheral blood cells demonstrated lack of full-length protein and deficient SAC response, resulting in ∼30-40% of aneuploid cells as detected by cytogenetic and single-cell (sc) DNA analysis. scRNA-seq analysis of patient blood cells identified mitochondrial stress accompanied by systemic inflammation with enhanced interferon and NFkB signaling. The inference of chromosomal aberrations from scRNA-seq analysis detected inflammatory signals both in aneuploid and euploid cells, suggesting a non-cell autonomous response to aneuploidy. In addition to random aneuploidies, MAD1L1 mutations resulted in specific clonal expansions of γδ T-cells with chromosome 18 gains and enhanced cytotoxic profile, as well as intermediate B-cells with chromosome 12 gains and transcriptomic signatures characteristic of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. These data point to MAD1L1 mutations as the cause of a new aneuploidy syndrome with systemic inflammation and unprecedented tumor susceptibility. <<<