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On Digi24's "The Planet is You", Prof. Dr. Maria Puiu, Deputy Director of the Institute for Genomic Research and Development (ICDG) and a geneticist, brought to the attention a very topical subject: how extreme heat influences biological age and accelerates the aging process.
Exposing the body to high temperatures is not just uncomfortable, it has profound effects at the cellular and genetic level. Excessive heat causes damage to DNA molecules and this damage, when it accumulates, accelerates cell senescence. At the same time, epigenetic modifications occur, changing the expression of genes essential for adaptation and longevity. An important role is also played by telomeres, structures that protect the ends of chromosomes, which shorten faster under heat stress, accelerating the ageing process.
Prof. Dr. Puiu also highlighted the importance of HSP (Heat Shock Proteins) genes, which encode proteins that may or may not be able to protect cells from extreme temperatures. Studies have shown that the effectiveness of these mechanisms is not the same for everyone: there are differences between individuals and populations, which explains why some people tolerate heat better while others feel the effects much faster and more intensely.
These findings show that climate change and intensifying heat waves are not only an ecological challenge, but also a biological and medical one, and the CGDI, which is already involved in various population studies, aims to contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms by which heat stress affects the human body through high-impact international collaborations.
These results would be essential and provide valuable information for protecting health and maintaining an active and healthy life in a future increasingly marked by climate extremes.
The full interview can be found here, starting at minute 7:
https://www.digi24.ro/emisiuni/planeta-esti-tu/planeta-esti-tu-17-august-18-30-3376777
More on the work of the CGDI at: https://genomica.gov.ro/
#ICDG #GRDI #UMFCD #Genomics #Genomics #ExtremeTemperatures #ExtremeTemperatures #Immaterials #Telomeres
