Transposable elements in the genome are the remnants of ancient viral infections, capable of hijacking cellular machinery to copy themselves haphazardly across the genome, causing damage to existing genes. They can further provoke inflammation and cell dysfunction via the presence of the viral machinery that these transposable element sequences code for; innate immune mechanisms in cells have evolved to detect such apparently foreign molecules. Transposable elements are effectively suppressed in youth, but with age this suppression breaks down. It has been suggested that activation of transposable elements is an important contributing factor in age-related conditions, particularly in neurodegenerativ…
Antiretroviral Drug Use Associated with Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
Transposable elements in the genome are the remnants of ancient viral infections, capable of hijacking cellular machinery to copy themselves haphazardly across the genome, causing damage to existing genes. They can further provoke inflammation and cell dysfunction via the presence of the viral machinery that these transposable element sequences code for; innate immune mechanisms in cells have evolved to detect such apparently foreign molecules. Transposable elements are effectively suppressed in youth, but with age this suppression breaks down. It has been suggested that activation of transposable elements is an important contributing factor in age-related conditions, particularly in neurodegenerativ…