A new study revealed that one of the most famous genetic mutations associated with age makes mitochondria (the energy factory in the cell) more active, which increases the rate of division of blood -infected blood cells and causes the development of some blood diseases. Scientists have been able to discover the mechanism in which the genetic mutation contributes to the rapid growth of stem blood cells and how it can be stopped.
The study was conducted by researchers from the “Jackson – Bear Harbor” laboratory, in the US Jackson Laboratory, and its results were published on April 16, 2025 in the Nature Communications magazine, and wrote on the York Alert website.
Stem cell pyramid
The stem cells in the blood, which are the main source of new cells in the body, with age, become more likely to accumulate genetic mutations. These mutations in new cells make them have the ability to grow faster than healthy cells, which increases the chance of developing some age -related diseases.
The scientists revealed that the occurrence of a mutation in a gene linked to aging called “DNMT3A”, leads to excessive mitochondria activity, which makes the cells that carry this mutation faster divided into normal cells.
This mutation allows cells to copy themselves more easily than usual and create a fertile ground for the development of blood clonal hematopoiesis, a condition significantly increases the risk of heart disease, blood cancers and other diseases. The bloody cloning occurs when a cell that begins the blood -component stem cell, which can develop into different types of blood cells, begins with the production of cells that carry the same genetic mutation. These blood cells have a genetic pattern that is different from the rest of the blood cells in your body.
Evolving Smallly cloning with age. Blood blood cells with a mutation can produce molecules that cause inflammation in the body, which may lead to a disorder in the manufacture of blood cells and the weak immune system.
Search for the cause
To discover the reason for the acquisition of cells infected with this genetic mutation is faster to grow from healthy cells, the researchers have developed a mouse model bearing a mutation in the Jin DNT3A. They concluded that the stem cells infected with the mine of medium -age mice were producing the energy of the power of healthy cells. Medicines targeting mitochondria managed to work on mice with bloody cloning.
On the other hand, humans do not need an external event to develop this mutation, as the stem blood cells in humans are determined to create the boom automatically. The results showed that the treatment strategy may only be effective for people with bloody cloning, to prevent leukemia and other diseases.