Parasitic DNA makes us age faster - but we're not sure why

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Genetic parasites called retrotransposons go much progressive arsenic we age, and an carnal survey suggests this whitethorn trigger immune responses that shorten our lifespans

Health 21 December 2022

By Michael Le Page

DNA

Illustration of DNA

MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Alamy

Genetic “parasites” known arsenic retrotransposons go much progressive successful each kinds of animals arsenic they age, and this accrued enactment shortens lifespans. Now, an carnal survey has shown this ageing effect isn’t a effect of mutations to the genome arsenic antecedently thought, but could beryllium a effect of the parasite enactment triggering an immune response.

Understanding precisely however these chunks of parasitic DNA shorten lifespans could pb to ways to widen quality lives. “But this is precise acold down the road,” says Blair Schneider astatine the Albert Einstein …

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