Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and TruDiagnostic have found DNA markers linked to ancient viral genes in our DNA. These markers act as precise “epigenetic clocks,” predicting our age. The study suggests that some of these ancient genes play a role in aging.
Retroelements, known to influence genes and affect diseases, have yet to be studied as extensively as aging markers. However, this study, published on August 2 in Aging Cell , shows that these retroelement clocks reveal unique aging signals not seen by other methods. Most aging clocks estimate age by looking at DNA methylation, which affects how genes work.
Methylation of these retroelements changes as we age, which may cause some genes to become more active, leading to instability, inflammation, and aging-related diseases. Aging is influenced by genetics, environment, and epigenetics. Researchers aim to find reliable markers to predict biological age, which reflects a person’s health better than the number of years lived (chronological age).
However, the two may only sometimes match. Using a machine learning model from TruDiagnostic, researchers analyzed epigenetic data from 12,670 people aged 12 to 100. They focused on DNA methylation patterns in retroelements, specifically human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) and long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs), creating a clock called “Retro-Age.
” Dr. Lishomwa Ndhlovu from Weill Cornell Medicine highlighted that Retro-Age offers new insights into aging and a t.