Professor Lorna Harries (Senisca): Targeting Senescence Through RNA Splicing in Age-Driven Pulmonary Disease
Targeting Senescence Through RNA Splicing in Age-Driven Pulmonary Disease
Hosted by the Oxford Society of Ageing and Longevity (OSAL)
Event Details
Date: Wednesday, 3rd June 2026
Time: 17:00 BST
Format: Virtual via Zoom
Registration: Secure your spot via Luma at https://luma.com/ml1z47tt
Duration: 45-minute presentation followed by Q&A
Note: Due to the presentation of sensitive and unpublished in vivo data, this session will not be recorded.
Biological Context and Abstract
Dysregulation of alternative splicing is increasingly recognized as a critical, druggable hallmark of ageing. In this session, Prof. Lorna Harries will explore how splicing factors represent the major class of transcripts exhibiting altered expression during mammalian ageing across cells, tissues, and individuals. Her research establishes that this transcriptomic dysregulation is a primary driver of cellular senescence, offering a targeted pathway to reprogram aged cells back toward a functional phenotype.
The presentation will introduce a novel oligonucleotide asset engineered to restore the labile expression of lead targets specifically within senescent cells. Prof. Harries will outline the translational potential of this technology using two exemplar conditions driven by cellular ageing: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Biomarker data from patient-derived primary cells and living ex vivo tissues will demonstrate the attenuation of senescence, reduced inflammation, and the prevention of pathological tissue remodelling.
About the Speaker
Prof. Lorna Harries is a leading researcher in the molecular biology of ageing, specializing in RNA biology, alternative splicing, and cellular senescence. Her work spans from fundamental molecular mechanisms to translational therapeutics, focusing on bridging the gap between basic ageing biology and clinical interventions for age-related chronic diseases.
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Event Registration (Luma): https://luma.com/ml1z47tt