Fascinating research! Qi Chen and colleagues have identified a potential "aging cliff" in sperm RNA (rsRNA) that is associated with the increased health risks for the next generation that accompany advancing paternal age. Read on uofuhealth.utah.edu/newsroom/new...
The molecular contents of sperm go through similar shifts over time in both mice and humans, which may lead to a rapid, dramatic shift at mid-life.
Perhaps the most puzzling part:
We see a paradox: the rsRNA length shift is progressive⏳yet the global RNA profile shows an "Aging Cliff"📉.
Cliff or Progression? Maybe the gradual shift is the forerunner—accumulating silently until it triggers the cliff.
bsky.app/profile/qich...
Qi Chen
1/5 It took us some time to connect the dots...now in @embojournal.org we use PANDORA-seq to start decoding the 'sperm RNA code of aging'
We find a conserved rsRNA length shift that reflects aging in both mouse & human sperm, and an 'aging cliff' at mid-life🧵
link.springer.com/article/10.1...