The development of aging parameters by serum telomere DNA analysis

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08919
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Maeda Toyoki 九州大学, 大学病院, 准教授 (30264112)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小柳 雅孔 九州大学, 大学病院, 助教 (00325474) ; 堀内 孝彦 九州大学, 大学病院, 教授 (90219212)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: テロメア / 生物学的老化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

By analyzing the telomere length distribution of peripheral white blood cells and the variation of subtelomeric hypermethylation it was possible to more accurately detect the biological aging state by measuring the average telomere length than by analyzing only. These newly developed methods were useful for detecting and evaluating a new type of anti-aging condition that aged cells live longer at a mild hot state than at normal temperature. In addition, we attemped to measure the amount of extrachromosomal telomere DNA derived from aged somatic cells but did not suceed to detect the rate of aging in a short period of time. In the course of this research, it was found that several DNA fragments extracted from non-nuclear DNA fractions contain intrachromosomal telomeric sequences along with telomere-like DNA sequences at the chromosome ends.

Free Research Field

Geriatrics