from the chronological age that is calculated using the date of birth. The precision of these aging clocks suggests that the aging process follows a program. Scientists have now discovered that aging clocks actually measure the increase in stochastic changes in cells.
from the chronological age calculated using the date of birth. The precision of these aging clocks implies that the aging process is predetermined. Scientists David Meyer and Professor Dr Björn Schumacher at CECAD, the Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases of the University of Cologne, have now found that aging clocks actually measure the increase in random changes in cells. The study ‘Aging clocks based on accumulating stochastic variation’ has been published in Nature Aging.
“Aging is triggered when the building blocks in our cells become damaged.
Damage caused by aging is mostly random, according to Professor Schumacher. Our research combines aging clocks’ precision with the accumulation of random changes in our cells.
More random changes, fewer controls
As we age, our ability to control cell processes becomes less effective, leading to more random outcomes. This is particularly noticeable in the buildup of random changes in DNA methylation, which refers to chemical alterations affecting DNA, the body’s genetic material. While these methylation processes are tightly regulated in the body, they become less controlled with age.During a person’s lifetime, random changes in methylation patterns occur, and the accumulation of these variations is a highly accurate indicator of age.
Loss of control over cells and an increase in stochastic variation is not limited to DNA methylation. Meyer and Schumacher show that an increase in stochastic variations in gene activity can also serve as an aging clock. “It would be possible to take this further and use stochastic variations in any cellular process to predict age,” Schumacher said. The authors emphasize the importance of determining if such aging.Clocks serve as indicators of the effectiveness of treatments that slow down the aging process and the harmful factors that speed it up. Researchers used available data to demonstrate that smoking increases random changes in humans, while “anti-aging” interventions like reducing calorie intake in mice decreases the variation in methylation patterns. They also found that stochastic noise can be reversed by reprogramming body cells into stem cells. By comparing human skin fibroblasts that were reprogrammed into stem cells, the researchers observed rejuvenation as a result of the reprogramming. The high variation in methylation patterns indicates aging.The low stochastic noise of young stem cells caused one of the body cells to reverse. Meyer and Schumacher believe that their discovery of the loss of regulation and the accumulation of stochastic variations could potentially lead to new treatments for aging and even cellular rejuvenation. One possible target for these treatments could be repairing stochastic changes in DNA or better controlling gene expression.
