American researchers from the Duke University School of Medicine (North Carolina) and the University of Minnesota may have revolutionized the way we diagnose, treat and care for patients, especially elderly patients. The teams of scientists have indeed found a group of small RNA molecules whose levels in the blood are linked to short-term survival in older adults.
Called “Piwi-interacting RNA” (or piRNA), they belong to the family of non-coding RNAs, long considered secondary but today recognized for their key role in cellular regulation. Unlike microRNAs (miRNAs), which are more studied, piRNAs remain poorly understood, especially when they circulate in the blood.
The team, co-led by Professor Virginia Byers Kraus and researcher Sisi Ma, analyzed more than 1,200 blood samples from adults aged over 71. The data were cross-referenced with national registers to obtain participant survival information. “We know very little about piRNAs in the blood, but what we find is that the levels of some specific piRNAs are better to be lower”Byers Kraus said in a statement.
Using statistical models, the researchers were able to examine 187 health indicators and 828 different small RNA molecules. As a result, a signature of six piRNAs makes it possible to predict survival within two years with an accuracy of almost 86%. People with lower levels of these specific molecules were more likely to survive in the short term.
Biomarkers more efficient than age or cholesterol
These six piRNAs were even more effective in predicting short-term survival than traditional indicators such as age, cholesterol level and physical activity. To look in the longer term, these factors are regaining their importance, but the new results linked to piRNA are not negligible, especially in the short term.
According to IFL Science, these small molecules act as regulators of biological processes linked to aging. If they are present in large quantities, this could reflect an internal imbalance not yet diagnosed by the medical profession.
A simple blood test for these piRNAs could soon become a tool to identify older people at greatest risk of developing serious health problems, which would allow doctors to adapt their care based on this diagnosis.
Researchers now want to know if certain lifestyle habits or medical treatments, such as GLP-1, influence piRNA levels. The goal is to better understand their biological role and determine whether we can fully rely on them to predict future health problems in patients.
