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Insights from the research group led by Dr. Holger Bierhoff also contribute to work at the FLI
Jena. In mid-January 2024, the Friedrich Schiller University Jena made an important discovery public: A team of researchers from the universities of Jena and Shenzhen (China), as well as the Jena University Hospital, decoded a molecular mechanism that plays a crucial role in the development of breast cancer. Interestingly, this mechanism is mediated by the so-called long non-coding RNA PAPAS. These findings might pave the way for new diagnostics an treatments for breast cancer, as well as for other types of cancer.
The project was led by Dr. Holger Bierhoff, whose research group "Epigenetics of Aging" is also associated with the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI). His team employed RNA sequencing with the support of the FLI to systematically examine the gene expression of breast cancer cells in relation to the PAPAS RNA. The published findings revealed that PAPAS can suppress both the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells.
The data also provided another insight that could be relevant not only for the university project but also for aging research at the FLI: "We now know that PAPAS controls cell growth but is also necessary for the correct differentiation of cells. This raises the intriguing question of whether PAPAS plays a role not only in cancer development but also in aging." A disrupted function of the non-coding RNA with advancing age could lead to cells not fulfilling their tasks properly and becoming more prone to degeneration. This connection needs to be further investigated. Are PAPAS or the downstream molecular mechanism deregulated with age? A promising approach would be to study PAPAS in model organisms of aging research, such as the nematode or the short-lived killifish, which are already established at the FLI.
Background Information
The Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) – upon its inauguration in 2004 – was the first German research organization dedicated to research on the process of aging. More than 350 employees from around 40 nations explore the molecular mechanisms underlying aging processes and age-associated diseases. For more information, please visit www.leibniz-fli.de.
The Leibniz Association connects 97 independent research institutions that range in focus from natural, engineering, and environmental sciences to economics, spatial, and social sciences and the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic, and ecological relevance. They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry, and the general public. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 20,500 people, including 11,500 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2 billion euros. For more information: www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/.
Dr. Holger Bierhoff
Group Leader
Junior Research Group "Epigenetics of Aging"
Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics Center for Molecular Biomedicine (CMB) Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Phone: +49 3641-9-49357
E-mail: holger.bierhoff@uni-jena.de
"PAPAS promotes differentiation of mammary epithelial cells and suppresses breast carcinogenesis"
Authors: Sijia Ren, Feng Bai, Viviane Schnell, Clara Stanko, Muriel Ritsch, Tino Schenk, Emanuel Barth, Manja Marz, Bin Wang, Xin-Hai Pei, Holger Bierhoff
Source: Cell Reports (online), January 4, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113644
http://www.leibniz-fli.de/news-events
Dr. Holger Bierhoff
Jens Meyer/University Jena
Jens Meyer/University Jena
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