Harvard researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have unveiled a groundbreaking epigenetic clock that can distinguish between harmful and adaptive changes in our DNA, offering new insights into biological aging. This innovative clock provides a clearer understanding of what accelerates or slows down aging, enabling scientists to accurately evaluate anti-aging interventions. Published in Nature Aging, the study highlights the potential for this new tool to bring us closer to understanding how we can rewind the aging clock.
Developed by a team led by Vadim Gladyshev, the new “CausAge” clock identifies the genetic differences that affect aging by leveraging machine learning models. It provides unprecedented accuracy in distinguishing between genetic markers that accelerate aging and those that offer protection.
Using a massive genetic dataset, the team examined over 20,000 DNA sites, or CpG regions, linked to traits like lifespan, health span, and frailty. The clock was validated on blood samples from thousands of individuals and was found to successfully distinguish between harmful damage (DamAge) and protective adaptations (AdaptAge). With this, scientists are now able to identify biomarkers that contribute to aging and test how different interventions might slow down or reverse the process.
The research team tested their clock on various conditions, including cancer, hypertension, and even smoking-related damage. DamAge consistently increased with age-related damage, while AdaptAge declined, highlighting protective adaptations that contribute to longevity.
“Despite the complexities of aging, our new clock allows us to measure biological age more accurately and evaluate interventions that could extend longevity,” says Gladyshev. Their work marks a leap forward in the quest to understand and potentially slow the aging process, offering promising new avenues for research and therapeutic development.
Read More: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/02/looking-to-rewind-the-aging-clock/
