ZHANG Weiqi and colleagues at CAS Beijing Institute of Genomics have carried out a genome-wide CRISPR-based screening for genes involved in senescence. Their results suggest that KAT7 (a histone acetyltransferase) plays a role in the aging of human mesenchymal precursor cells (hMPCs). In experiments with mice, intravenous injection of a lentiviral vector encoding Cas9/sg-KAT7 reduced the proportions of senescent cells and proinflammatory cells in the liver, diminished circulatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors in the serum, and extended healthspan and lifespan of aged mice.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03093-8
CRISPR-based genome screening reveals new drivers of senescence in mice and men