The hallmarks of aging in Ataxia-Telangiectasia

Julio Aguado^{j.aguadoperez@uq.edu.au.">1}, Cecilia Gómez-Inclán², Hannah C Leeson², Martin F Lavin³, Yosef Shiloh⁴, Ernst J Wolvetang^{e.wolvetang@uq.edu.au.">5}

Affiliations

¹Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia. Electronic address: j.aguadoperez@uq.edu.au.
²Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia.
³University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, Brisbane, Australia.
⁴The David and Inez Myers Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel.
⁵Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia. Electronic address: e.wolvetang@uq.edu.au.

PMID: 35644374

DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101653

Abstract

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is caused by absence of the catalytic activity of ATM, a protein kinase that plays a central role in the DNA damage response, many branches of cellular metabolism, redox and mitochondrial homeostasis, and cell cycle regulation. A-T is a complex disorder characterized mainly by progressive cerebellar degeneration, immunodeficiency, radiation sensitivity, genome instability, and predisposition to cancer. It is increasingly recognized that the premature aging component of A-T is an important driver of this disease, and A-T is therefore an attractive model to study the aging process. This review outlines the current state of knowledge pertaining to the molecular and cellular signatures of aging in A-T and proposes how these new insights can guide novel therapeutic approaches for A-T.

Keywords: ATM; Aging; Ataxia-telangiectasia; Cellular senescence; DNA damage response; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Oxidative stress.