Association between prematurity, cellular senescence and circadian rhythmicity

• Grant number: 23/00216-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Vânia D'Almeida
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Nunes de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Senescence is a physiological process that plays an important role inhomeostasis. However, it is known that the accumulation of senescent cells isalso responsible for the development of diseases related to advancing age,which may interfere in circadian rhythm once it is related to lower expression ofclock genes. One of the hypotheses for premature birth is that it may result fromthe accelerated aging process of extraembryonic tissues and, therefore, thoseborn under these circumstances may present accelerated senescence. Thishypothesis has been evidenced in some studies that found shorter telomeres inpreterm infants. In addition to telomere length, hypermethylation in specificregions of DNA is also a promising marker of aging. Thus, this project aims toevaluate the association between prematurity, cellular senescence, andcircadian rhythms. For this, preterm individuals from 10 years of age, underfollow-up at the Ambulatório de Prematuros, and those born at term matched bysex and age will answer questionnaires related to their daytime preferences andsleep and to use a device that allows to evidence the activity and rest rhythmsand the light exposure, to evaluate their circadian rhythm. To evaluate the agingprocess, the telomeres length, the expression of genes related to senescenceand cell cycle control, and the DNA methylation profile will be studied usingcells from the oral mucosa. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

NUNES-OLIVEIRA, ANA CAROLINA; TEMPAKU, PRISCILA FARIAS; TUFIK, SERGIO; DE OLIVEIRA, ALLAN CHIARATTI; D'ALMEIDA, VANIA. Cellular senescence and sleep in childhood and adolescence: A scoping review focusing on sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep Medicine, v. 122, p. 7-pg., 2024-08-21. (23/08657-0, 23/00216-5)