DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Identifying and testing therapeutic targets for boosting

The number of people over the age of 65 is predicted to double within the next 50 years, accompanied by an increase in chronic-diseases, which already consume up to 80% of health-care costs. Developing therapies for chronic ageing-diseases is, therefore, an urgent priority.

A fundamental feature underlying diseases of ageing is impaired tissue-homeostasis, driven by telomere shortening and consequent replicative cell senescence. There is strong evidence implicating telomere dysfunction and senescence in age-associated pathologies, such as atherosclerosis and cancer. Encouragingly, removing aberrantly accumulated senescent cells can significantly ameliorate ageing phenotypes in mice, highlighting senescence as an important therapeutic target.

In young tissue, immune-surveillance clears senescence. With ageing however, senescent cells accumulate, causing disease. Yet the mechanisms regulating senescent cell clearance in ageing, particularly telomere-dependent replicative senescence, are unknown, limiting our ability to harness its therapeutic potential.

This project aims at determining the key mechanisms regulating immune-directed clearance of senescent cells in ageing, using the zebrafish model, with the aim of identifying potential therapeutic targets for improving tissue health in the old.

This is a project that offers excellent training across the disciplines of ageing, telomere biology, immunology and tissue regeneration.

Funding Notes

This studentship is part of the MRC Discovery Medicine North (DiMeN) partnership and is funded for 3.5 years. Including the following financial support:

• Tax-free maintenance grant at the national UK Research Council rate
• Full payment of tuition fees at the standard UK/EU rate
• Research training support grant (RTSG)
• Travel allowance for attendance at UK and international meetings
• Opportunity to apply for Flexible Funds for further training and development