Simple blood test measuring piRNAs may help better understand health and aging

Research in Aging Cell indicates that blood levels of particular small non-coding RNAs, which regulate gene expression, may influence how long a person lives.

Investigators evaluated 828 small non-coding RNAs in blood samples from 1,271 community-dwelling older adults 71 years of age and older who were participating in an ongoing study. They then used machine learning to develop a model that could predict survival at 2, 5, and 10 years based on baseline small non-coding RNAs, age, and clinical variables (demographics, lifestyle, mood, physical function, standard clinical laboratory tests, lipid and metabolite levels, and medical conditions).

The test worked especially well for predicting survival over the next 2 years. "One surprising finding involved a group of small non-coding RNA molecules called piRNAs", said co–corresponding author Virginia Byers Kraus, MD, PhD, of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. Scientists have long known that piRNAs help protect DNA in reproductive cells, but their role in the rest of the body is still a mystery. In this study, nine piRNAs, all reduced in longer-lived individuals, were identified as potential therapeutic targets to prolong longevity.

"These results suggest that simple blood tests measuring piRNAs might one day help doctors better understand health and aging-and possibly even guide new treatments to help people live longer, healthier lives," said Dr. Byers Kraus.