"The visible effects of ageing on our body are in part linked to invisible changes in gene activity. The epigenetic process of DNA methylation the addition or removal of tags called methyl groups becomes less precise as we age. The result is changes to gene expression that are linked to reduced organ function and increased susceptibility to disease as people age."
"Now, a meta-analysis of epigenetic changes in 17 types of human tissue throughout the entire adult lifespan provides the most comprehensive picture to date of how ageing modifies our genes. The study assessed DNA methylation patterns in human tissue samples and revealed that some tissues seem to age faster than others. The retina and stomach, for example, accumulate more ageing-related DNA methylation changes than do the cervix or skin."
Ageing reduces precision of DNA methylation, the addition or removal of methyl-group tags, causing altered gene expression linked to declining organ function and greater disease susceptibility. A large meta-analysis compared methylation patterns across seventeen human tissue types spanning the adult lifespan to map epigenetic changes. The analysis found that some tissues accumulate ageing-related methylation changes faster than others: retina and stomach show greater accumulation than cervix or skin. The analysis also identified epigenetic markers of ageing shared across multiple organs. An epigenetic atlas of these patterns could enable investigation of methylation–ageing links and guide identification of molecular targets for anti-ageing interventions.
Read at www.nature.com
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