The rate of aging is determined by epigenetics
Scientists from King's College London and the Sanger Institute, working under the guidance of Professor Tim Spector and Dr. Panos Deloukas, have identified a group of "aging genes" whose activity is triggered and blocked by natural mechanisms known as epigenetic factors, which affects the speed of the healthy aging process and determines the potential longevity of a person.
The data obtained also indicate that the launch of these epigenetic processes, which can be initiated as a result of external factors such as diet, lifestyle and environmental influences, most likely occurs at an early age and continues throughout a person's life.
As part of the work, scientists analyzed epigenetic changes in the DNA of 172 female twins aged 32-80 years and conducted an association search, the purpose of which was to identify a possible relationship between these changes and chronological age. The result of the analysis was the identification of 490 age-associated epigenetic changes. The authors also analyzed the localization of DNA modifications in the genes responsible for the signs whose changes are characteristic of aging, and found that epigenetic changes are expressed in four genes involved in the regulation of cholesterol levels in the blood and lung function, as well as correlating with the life expectancy of the mothers of the study participants.
In order to identify possible mechanisms for triggering these changes, the researchers repeated the analysis using a cohort of 44 relatively young twins aged 22 to 61 years, who also had many of the 490 identified epigenetic changes associated with age. The researchers believe that this fact indicates that, while most of the DNA changes under consideration occur naturally during a person's lifetime, the initiation of a sufficiently large number of them can occur in the early stages of life.
The researchers believe that the epigenetic changes they identified are potential markers of biological aging, and in the future may become targets of therapy aimed at slowing aging.
Article by Jordana T. Bell et al. Epigenome-Wide Scans Identify Differently Methylated Regions for Age and Age-Related Phenotypes in a Healthy Aging Population published in the journal PLoS Genetics.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of King's College London: Aging genes discovered.
24.04.2012