Restoring the liver’s daily rhythms to fight age-related metabolic decline

Raúl Méndez

Fundació Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona), Spain

As people age, the body’s internal daily rhythms can become less precise. This affects the liver, an organ that plays a central role in regulating sugar, fats and energy. Although many liver genes continue to follow day–night cycles, the proteins they produce may lose coordination, contributing to metabolic problems, inflammation and frailty. This project aims to understand how ageing alters the timing between gene activity and protein production.

Researchers with expertise in ageing, liver metabolism, molecular biology and computational analysis will study small, dynamic structures inside cells that organise the production and renewal of proteins. In young cells, these structures appear flexible and responsive, but they become more rigid with age. Using animal models and human liver samples, the team will map how these structures change over time and how to restore their properties.

The project could help identify new markers of metabolic resilience and suggest interventions based on the body’s daily rhythms. The findings would help develop strategies that support healthier aging by preserving liver health.

• Mercedes Fernández, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona - Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Spain

• Jonel Trebicka, University of Münster, Germany

RNA–Protein Condensate Dynamics Orchestrate Metabolic Aging in Space and Time

€999,190.00