Demarialab

Starting in mid-May, Ian Davis has joined us from SUNY-ESF (Syracuse, NY). Ian is a B.Sc. student with us through mid-August and has been investigating an already-approved drug class for its potential senolytic effects in mice.

Mitochondrial DNA released by senescent tumor cells enhances PMN-MDSC-driven immunosuppression through the cGAS-STING pathway Mitochondrial dysfunction is a feature of cellular senescence. Lai et al. find that senescent tumor cells release mitochondrial (mt)DNA into the extracellular space, where it is taken up by PMN-MDSCs....

Journal Club Time📰: A new publication from @cp-immunity.bsky.social showed that therapy-induced tumor and non-tumor cells actively released mtDNA into the extracellular environment, which resulted in enhanced immunosuppressive activity of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

Since June, we’ve been hosting @magnusberglind.bsky.social, PhD student from Copenhagen University Hospital (Hvidovre)🇩🇰.He’s with us for two months to study cells isolated from a new tissue-specific p16 reporter mouse model.We’re glad to have him and look forward to a great scientific exchange!

Farewell 🍻🫶
Last week we said goodbye to Allancer, Arianna and Chiara with a lovely lab happy hour.
Thank you for your dedication, curiosity, and bright spirit.
Wishing you all the best in your next adventures.
You'll be missed and always welcome back! 💛
#LabHappyHour #Science

Age-associated reduction in ER-Mitochondrial contacts impairs mitochondrial lipid metabolism and autophagosome formation in the heart - Cell Death & Differentiation Cell Death & Differentiation - Age-associated reduction in ER-Mitochondrial contacts impairs mitochondrial lipid metabolism and autophagosome formation in the heart

Journal Club Time📰: A new study published in @nature.com showed that disrupted mitochondrial lipid metabolism drives dysfunctional giant mitochondria in aged heart cells, and targeting LACTB may help counteract cardiac aging.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

On 10th April 2025, members from the Demaria lab, and others, organized the first PhD Day for PhD candidates in the theme of development and ageing. This event gave PhD candidates the opportunity to present their research, engage with their peers and become part of a vibrant academic community.

Congrats to @jamilnehme.bsky.social for winning an NWO XS grant at UMCG! 🧬 He’ll explore if an elephant gene that controls cell death can fight cancer and aging by enhancing the removal of damaged cells. A bold step toward unlocking nature’s secrets for healthier lives. @umcgroningen.bsky.social

🧬 In his latest editorial for Aging-US, Prof. Marco Demaria @marcdema.bsky.social
advocates for a transformative shift in healthcare from reactive disease management to more proactive strategies...

Read more: www.aging-us.com/article/2062...

#Healthspan #Longevity #HealthcareInnovation

New brain on board! 🔬
Meet Vlaicu, our new MSc student from RUG who joined in December to study how hypoxia-mimetic drugs impact senescence in lung MSCs 🧬 🫁
Good luck on this exciting scientific adventure! 🚀 #CellBiology #Senescence #Hypoxia

🚨New student in the lab!🚨
Welcome to our MSc student Manon from RUG 🎓 Since January, she's been exploring how a fatty acid modulates cellular senescence 🧬🧪 Guided by postdoctoral researcher Pilar Picallos.
Wishing her an exciting journey into the science of aging! 🌟
#CellBiology #Senescence #Aging

Visiting Students👩🏾‍🔬🧪
Since February 27, our lab has been hosting Chiara and Arianna, Erasmus Master's students from the University of Calabria (Italy).
Over 4 months, they’ll explore cellular senescence and learn new lab techniques.
A wonderful exchange of skills and scientific curiosity! 🧬🔬 #Science

💥ERIBA Seminar💥
🔬 On March 14, Pilar Picallos-Rabina presented her postdoc project at her 1st ERIBA seminar, unveiling how fatty acids modulate cellular senescence. Aging meets metabolism in a science-packed talk! 🧬🔥

Thrilled to welcome Allancer Nunes 👋 Visiting postdoc from the Paul Robbins Lab at the Masonic Institute on the biology of aging and metabolism! Here for 2 months to validate the senotherapeutic activity of a new compound in mouse cell lines, with a focus on sex disparity 🧬 #senescence #aging

On March 13, our postdoc @boshiwang.bsky.social joined the pitch competition at #This-is-UMCG-Research, presenting his project on how chemotherapy-induced senescent cells promote cancer progression. A great day to celebrate innovative science and fresh grants across UMCG’s research institutes! 🔬⚛️

🎉 Congrats on the successful MoHAD Postdoc/Early Researcher Day, organized by postdocs @martijnrutten.bsky.social & @jamilnehme.bsky.social from our lab! An inspiring event with career talks, great presentations, lively discussions, and creative brainstorming to foster collaboration. 🚀

Cell enlargement modulated by GATA4 and YAP instructs the senescence-associated secretory phenotype - Nature Communications Senescent cells accumulate during aging and exhibit cell enlargement, the function of which has been unclear for decades. Here, the authors identify an antagonistic genetic circuit for hypertrophy and...

Journal Club Time📰: A new study in @naturecomms.bsky.social 🔗 shows that actin cytoskeleton remodeling links senescence-associated cell enlargement to SASP via GATA4, YAP, and RHOU. Targeting cell enlargement reduces SASP with minimal effects on growth arrest. #Aging www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Our PhDs and Postdocs had an amazing time at the #yICSA conference at the Netherlands Cancer Institute! 🇳🇱🎉 A fantastic chance to connect with experts in cellular senescence and present some of our projects. Huge thanks to everyone for making this experience unforgettable! @marcdema.bsky.social

💥Eriba Seminar💥
Last Friday, Abdullah Altulea, a 4th-year PhD student from our lab, presented the progress of his captivating project called "Characterization of senescent cells in aging and injury".
Wishing him a future full of success and accomplishment! ✨🎉
@marcdema.bsky.social

A ganglioside-based immune checkpoint enables senescent cells to evade immunosurveillance during aging - PubMed Although senescent cells can be eliminated by the immune system, they tend to accumulate with age in various tissues. Here we show that senescent cells can evade immune clearance by natural killer (NK...

"A ganglioside-based immune checkpoint enables senescent cells to evade immunosurveillance during aging"
link: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39730825/

🔬 Journal Club
Today, our Master’s student Vlaicu presented a fascinating topic: Senescent cells evade NK cells by upregulating GD3—blocking GD3 restores immune clearance, reducing fibrosis and aging damage. 🛡️🔬 #Aging #Senescence #Immunotherapy www-nature-com.proxy-ub.rug.nl/articles/s43...

Check out my recent comment lnkd.in/e7KBsdSB on the accelerated aging phenotype in cancer survivors. With increasing survivorship, understanding & addressing this issue is critical to improve quality of life. Free full access: rdcu.be/ebwhr #Longevity #Aging @demarialab.bsky.social

CDK4/6 inhibitors transiently induce a senescence-like state in breast cancer cells, which however cannot be eliminated by senolytics - but Marco Demaria, Boshi Wang and coworkers @demarialab.bsky.social find that they are instead sensitive to lysosomotropic agents!
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Exosomal miR-302b rejuvenates aging mice by reversing the proliferative arrest of senescent cells Bi et al. propose the Senoreverse anti-aging strategy, which aims to reverse the proliferative arrest of senescent cells. Exosomal miR-302b is identified as a Senoreverse candidate that targets the ce...

🔬 Journal Club

This week, @martijnrutten.bsky.social presented "Exosomal miR-302b rejuvenates aging mice" (Bi et al., Cell Metab, 2025).
🧬 miR-302b rescues proliferative arrest in senescent cells
🐭 Improves tissue function in aged mice

Great discussion on the possibility of reversing senescence!

🚨 Big news! 🚨 Our lab's latest paper by Jamil Nehme (@jamilnehme.bsky.social) is out now:
Pharmacological CDK4/6 inhibition promotes vulnerability to lysosomotropic agents in breast cancer.
Check it out! (doi.org/10.1038/s443...) Congrats, Jamil! #CancerResearch #CDK46 #BreastCancer

Last Friday, Alessio Piccolantonio (@apiccolantonio.bsky.social) from our lab presented his PhD project at his first ERIBA seminar, exploring the role of cellular senescence in systemic sclerosis🔬🧬🧫 #Science #Research#CellBiology #Aging #CellularSenescence

Wrapped up the year in style at the ERIBA New Year dinner.🎉 Good food, good chats, and a solid way to kick off 2025. Looking forward to what’s ahead!
#ERIBA #NewYearVibes

Today, Anton Stamm @anton-stamm.bsky.social from our lab is presenting his PhD project in his first ERIBA seminar, focusing on cellular senescence in lung fibrosis and cell-autonomous clock dynamics. Well done! 👏🧬📚

Lithocholic acid phenocopies anti-ageing effects of calorie restriction - Nature Lithocholic acid is one of the metabolites upregulated during calorie restriction, and treatment of mice, worms and flies with this bile acid alone can reproduce the health benefits of calorie restric...

Journal club📰: New study highlights lithocholic acid (LCA) as a key metabolite upregulated by calorie restriction (CR) that mimics its anti-aging effects. LCA activates AMPK, boosts muscle regeneration, and extends healthspan in mice, C. elegans, and flies. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Excited to welcome our new postdoc, Naomi Veeningen, to the lab! Naomi will be exploring sex disparity, natural aging, and the immune system. Wishing her a fantastic journey with us—great things ahead!

Just landed in Seoul where I will meet great people, give a talk, discuss science and check out the National Seoul University. Thanks
@chanhee
Kang for the hospitality! #senescence #Research #seoul