​genomic instability
 affects everything downstream:
telomere attrition
​proteostatsis
​mitochondrial dysfunction  
cellular senescence

 DNA
​repair mechanisms

the DNA Damage Response (DDR)

is a complex, conserved signaling network that detects DNA mutations, triggers repair mechanisms or sends signals to initiate apoptosis

remove irreparable cell from rotation

 and making our DNA young again?!

 DNA structure is compromised by mutations

 our cells maintain DNA integrity by a three step process...

your DNA...
stores the molecular instructions necessary for you to develop, survive, and reproduce.

provides the genetic codes needed to build proteins, the essential molecules that are the workhorses in your bodies.

ensures that your genetic traits are accurately copied and passed down from you to the next generation.

 DNA structure

the science of aging
part 2:
​genomic instability

longevity research is focusing on areas of intervention in the DDC including DNA repair mechanism stimulators
and DNA damage response targets (proteins including repair enzymes that detect and mend DNA lesions)

 the double helix is "unzipped" then each half is used as a template to assemble two new chains each containing 1/2 "old" DNA

repair DNA damage using DDR

check out
Trends in Cell Biology

Volume 30, Issue 2p117-132
​February 2020

Protecting the Aging Genome
Michael A. Petr ∙ Tulika Tulika ∙ Lina M. Carmona-Marin ∙ Morten Scheibye-Knudsen

​https://www.cell.com/trends/cell-biology/fulltext/S0962-8924(19)30203-X

cancer cells frequently develop therapy resistance by hijacking the DNA damage response (DDR) pathways to increase their repair capacity. This allows tumor cells to repair treatment-induced lesions, avoiding cell death. 

DNA repair mechanisms detect and correct DNA damage.

Youth-associated DNA gaps are transient, small breaks in the genome. they function sort of like expansion joints in a bridge, releiving DNA torsional stress. 
these gaps decrease with age which contributes to cellular senescence. Maintaining these gaps is essential for genomic stability, and reducing them promotes aging. research is showing that increasing these gaps can reverse aging in animal models. 

but researchers are targeting the DDRs of cancer cells to induce apoptosis

 double helix =
two chains of nucleotides
​ bonded together and twisted

 DNA
​function

DNA serves as the instructions to assemble amino acids into proteins

​genomic instability disrupts your DNA's functions

counter ROSs which cause mutations

 DNA replication

lets briefly review DNA structure,
​replication,
​function
and how repair mechanisms correct DNA mutations...