The emerging role of alternative splicing in senescence and aging

Deregulation of precursor mRNA splicing is associated with many illnesses and has been linked to age‐related chronic diseases.

Overall, it is becoming increasingly clear that changes in the activity of splicing factors and in the production of key splice variants can impact cellular senescence and the aging phenotype.

Aging is defined as a progressive decline of fitness over time, ultimately leading to death (Kirkwood & Holliday, 1979; Kirkwood, 2005). This decline is associated with several changes such as tissue deterioration and disorganization, organ dysfunction, and loss of stem cell renewal, the latter contributing to age‐associated immunodeficiency.

Increased intron retention is a post‐transcriptional signature associated with progressive aging and Alzheimer’s disease

Intron retention (IR) by alternative splicing is a conserved regulatory mechanism that can affect gene expression and protein function during adult development and age‐onset diseases. However, it remains unclear whether IR undergoes spatial or temporal changes during different stages of aging or neurodegeneration like Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

an increased IR is an conserved signature that is associated with aging. By affecting pathways involved in mRNA and protein homeostasis, changes of IR pattern during aging may regulate the transition from healthy to pathological state in late‐onset sporadic AD.

High Body Mass Index is Associated with Elevated Blood Levels of Progerin mRNA

The Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factors and Insulin-Like Growth Factor–Binding Proteins in the Nervous System