Finding Genetic Signatures of Aging
A new study uses a mouse cell atlas to identify both general and tissue-specific genetic aging signatures
DNA & aging
In the quest to fight age-related decline, there are many avenues we are exploring: drugs (such as metformin or rapamycin), supplements (such as resveratrol), blood exchange and/or dilution, custom-made molecules, stem cells,…. Or why not try some fasting or calorie restriction (which may not work as well as you think)? Or have some red wine.
But to truly get a grip on treating age-related decline in various bodily functions, we should understand the various complex processes that underlie aging.
We can study metabolism, physiology, cognitive function… We can also drill down into the genetic roots of aging (environment and lifestyle matter too, of course). To untangle those genetic roots, though, we need to know which genes of the many thousands to focus on.
This is a tricky problem because aging is a systemic process that leaves no bodily function unaffected. It is a multi-factorial problem and in a previous post, we looked at how machine learning can be beneficial in aging research, for example to develop lifespan ‘clocks’. But aging is not only a whole-body phenomenon, different parts…
