Molecular and epigenetic markers as promising tools to quantify the effect of occupational exposures and the risk of developing non-communicable diseases

Promoting health and productivity among ageing workers: a longitudinal study on work ability, biological and cognitive age in modern workplaces (PROAGEING study)

BACKGROUND

Large changes in ageing population and in retirement age are increasing the number of older people in the workforce, raising many challenges for policymakers in promoting employment opportunities and health for older workers. In this respect, longitudinal assessments of workability, well-being perception and cognitive skills over time may allow to detect factors influencing workers' health. Moreover, new available molecular markers permit the measurement of biological age and age-related changes. Most studies analysed one aspect at time (psychological, biological, labour productivity), without considering their interaction. Aims of the study are to evaluate the relationship between workability, cognitive skills, and biological age in a population of ageing workers; to conduct a cross-sectional analysis to assess the impact of occupational exposures on workability, cognitive skills, and biological age; to evaluate inter-individuals changes in a prospective analysis with a re-evaluation of each worker.

METHODS

Our study plans to enrol 1000 full-time workers, aged over 50, undergoing the medical surveillance required by the current Italian Legislation. Data collection includes information about: (a) work ability and psychosocial risk factors (work ability index, HSE Management Standard-21 item, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, World Health Organisation-Five, Well-Being Index, job satisfaction, general well-being, technostress); (b) cognitive skills (Stroop Color and Word test, Simon task, Corsi's block-tapping test, Digit span test); (c) sleep habits and psychological well-being (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test; Symptom Check List 90, Psychological Well-Being Index, Profile of Mood State, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Brief COPE); (d) biological age (telomere length, DNA methylation) for 500 workers. All workers will repeat the evaluation after one year.

DISCUSSION

This study aims to increase our knowledge about interactions between work ability, cognitive ability, well-being perception and psychological status also by including molecular markers, with a longitudinal and multidisciplinary approach. By bringing better insights into the relationship between risk factors and their impact on perceived and biological health, this study also aims at identifying possible interventions and protective measures to ensure aged workers' well-being, consistent with all the eminent calls for actions promoted by key International and European labour organizations.

Cell-Free Filtrates (CFF) as Vectors of a Transmissible Pathologic Tissue Memory Code: A Hypothetical and Narrative Review

Cellular memory is a controversial concept representing the ability of cells to "write and memorize" stressful experiences via epigenetic operators. The progressive course of chronic, non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and arteriosclerosis, is likely driven through an abnormal epigenetic reprogramming, fostering the hypothesis of a cellular pathologic memory. Accordingly, cultured diabetic and cancer patient-derived cells recall behavioral traits as when in the donor's organism irrespective to culture time and conditions. Here, we analyze the data of studies conducted by our group and led by a cascade of hypothesis, in which we aimed to validate the hypothetical existence and transmissibility of a cellular pathologic memory in diabetes, arteriosclerotic peripheral arterial disease, and cancer. These experiments were based on the administration to otherwise healthy animals of cell-free filtrates prepared from human pathologic tissue samples representative of each disease condition. The administration of each pathologic tissue homogenate consistently induced the faithful recapitulation of: (1) Diabetic archetypical changes in cutaneous arterioles and nerves. (2) Non-thrombotic arteriosclerotic thickening, collagenous arterial encroachment, aberrant angiogenesis, and vascular remodeling. (3) Pre-malignant and malignant epithelial and mesenchymal tumors in different organs; all evocative of the donor's tissue histopathology and with no barriers for interspecies transmission. We hypothesize that homogenates contain pathologic tissue memory codes represented in soluble drivers that "infiltrate" host's animal cells, and ultimately impose their phenotypic signatures. The identification and validation of the actors in behind may pave the way for future therapies.