Genome-scale ORF screen finds NKX2-5 restores vision in aged mice
anshulkundaje · x · 2026-10-03
A new preprint from Jonathan Weissman's lab (Whitehead Institute) in collaboration with Harvard's Mass Eye and Eye group presents a genome-scale screen of the human ORFome for genes that make vulnerable cells more resilient to stress.
- Premise: aging is a progressive loss of stress resilience; the team systematically searched for "resilience factors"
- The screen identified NKX2-5, a heart transcription factor, which when engineered restored vision and improved health in aged mice
- Focus is protecting the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE); co-authors include Matthias Mann and Vadim Gladyshev
- A notable high-throughput screening / longevity research result with relevance to AI for Science
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