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Scientists Uncover “Mortality Timer” Within Our Cells

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Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine discovered that smaller nucleoli in cells could slow aging and extend lifespan, a principle observed in yeast that may also apply to humans. Published in Nature Aging, the study suggests that small nucleoli act as a "mortality timer," whereas larger nucleoli lead to destabilization of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and cell death. Aging is linked to increased risk of diseases, making it crucial to develop therapies that prevent underlying molecular defects rather than treating each disease individually.

The nucleolus, found within the cell nucleus, houses rDNA critical for protein synthesis, and its size changes with age. Anti-aging strategies like calorie restriction have been shown to maintain smaller nucleoli. The researchers engineered yeast cells to control nucleolar size, finding that tethering the nucleolus kept it compact, delaying aging similarly to calorie restriction. They determined that nucleoli do not expand consistently, indicating a critical threshold linked to rapid aging. Larger nucleoli destabilize rDNA, leading to genome instability and accelerated cell death. Future research will explore the impact of nucleolar size on aging in human stem cells, aiming to extend their lifespan.

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