Study Reveals Conserved Sperm RNA 'Aging Clock' in Humans and Mice

Using PANDORA‑seq on isolated sperm heads, researchers detected age‑linked RNA lengthening that was missed by conventional sequencing.

Overview

Published January 20 in The EMBO Journal, the work reports progressive shifts in sperm small non‑coding RNAs detectable with PANDORA‑seq.
In mice, a sharp midlife transition in sperm RNA composition appears between roughly 50 and 70 weeks, while human sperm shows a comparable progressive trend.
Specific RNA fragments lengthen with age as shorter fragments decline, running counter to expectations from age‑related DNA fragmentation in sperm.
Introducing RNA from older sperm into mouse embryonic stem cells altered gene expression tied to metabolism and neurodegeneration, indicating a plausible mechanistic link.
The age‑associated signal emerged only when sequencing RNA from sperm heads, and the team now aims to identify the enzymes that drive these shifts as potential diagnostic or therapeutic targets.