title: Aging: not all DNA damage is equal.
abstract: Recent advances have identified accumulation of DNA damage as a major driver of aging. However, there are numerous kinds of DNA lesions each with their own characteristics and cellular outcome, which highly depends on cellular context: proliferation (cell cycle), differentiation, propensity for survival/death, cell condition and systemic hormonal and immunological parameters. In addition, DNA damage is strongly influenced by cellular metabolism, anti-oxidant status and exogenous factors, consistent with the multi-factorial nature of aging. Notably, DNA lesions interfering with replication have very different outcomes compared to transcription. These considerations provide a conceptual framework in which different types of DNA damage and their setting contribute to the aging process in differential manners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wilbert P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Vermeij
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan H J
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hoeijmakers
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.pothof@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Joris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pothof
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics*; D004194:Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004247:DNA