Looking Back

It’s no secret that things start to fall apart as we get older, including worsening eyesight. But what if we could turn back the biological clock? A new study in mice provides a tantalising clue that this might be possible. As we age, the DNA in our cells picks up molecular marks known as epigenetic modifications, which affect how genes work. Crucially, these modifications are also important for enabling cells to remember their identity and the job that they do. Researchers used clever gene therapy techniques to manipulate the epigenetic modifications in the eyes of older mice, aiming to wipe away the marks of ageing without losing the cells’ identity. Altered cells are highlighted in green in this image of the retina (back of the eye) from a mouse receiving the therapy. Impressively, the treatment improved vision in mice with age-related vision loss and enabled injured eye nerves to regrow.

Written by Kat Arney

Kat Arney

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Dr Kat Arney is an award-winning science writer, broadcaster and public speaker, and is the founder and Creative Director of First Create The Media.

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• Image by Yuancheng Lu, Sinclair Lab, Harvard Medical School
• Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
• Image copyright held by the Sinclair Lab, Harvard Medical School, used with permission
• Research published in Nature, December 2020