Female-specific anti-ageing effects of TRF2 inhibition in skeletal myofibres.

Eric Gilson, Maria Sol Jacome Burbano, Laurent Schaeffer, Marjorie Martin, Serge Bauwens, Mélanie Pousse, Jerome D Robin, Julien Gondin, Jean-Luc Thomas, Marco Raffaelli, Emmanuelle Girard, Peggy D Carmine, Edwige Belotti, Pauline Billard, Tiphaine Dorel

Côte d'Azur University, CNRS, Inserm, IRCAN, Faculty of Medicine , Nice, France. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Aged female mice with skeletal muscle-specific deletion of Terf2, which encodes the telomere-protective factor TRF2, display a remarkably young-like muscle phenotype including reduced myofibre atrophy, preserved muscle strength, absence of regenerative nuclear markers and modest lifespan extension. This phenotype occurs without evidence of telomere deprotection but is associated with mild pro-oxidant signalling; hence, we propose that age-associated TRF2 downregulation induces a hormetic response that benefits skeletal muscle function during ageing. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developmental circuits in ageing'.

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Research summary

The paper claims that skeletal muscle-specific inhibition of TRF2 induces a hormetic pro-oxidant response that preserves muscle function and extends lifespan in aged female mice. This is relevant because it identifies a specific molecular mechanism (TRF2 downregulation) that bypasses the typical negative effects of aging in muscle tissue, offering a potential target for interventions aimed at maintaining physiological function and extending healthy lifespan.

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