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Boccardi V, Orr ME, Polidori MC, Ruggiero C, Mecocci P. Focus on senescence: Clinical significance and practical applications. J Intern Med 2024; 295:599-619. [PMID: 38446642 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The older population is increasing worldwide, and life expectancy is continuously rising, predominantly thanks to medical and technological progress. Healthspan refers to the number of years an individual can live in good health. From a gerontological viewpoint, the mission is to extend the life spent in good health, promoting well-being and minimizing the impact of aging-related diseases to slow the aging process. Biologically, aging is a malleable process characterized by an intra- and inter-individual heterogeneous and dynamic balance between accumulating damage and repair mechanisms. Cellular senescence is a key component of this process, with senescent cells accumulating in different tissues and organs, leading to aging and age-related disease susceptibility over time. Removing senescent cells from the body or slowing down the burden rate has been proposed as an efficient way to reduce age-dependent deterioration. In animal models, senotherapeutic molecules can extend life expectancy and lifespan by either senolytic or senomorphic activity. Much research shows that dietary and physical activity-driven lifestyle interventions protect against senescence. This narrative review aims to summarize the current knowledge on targeting senescent cells to reduce the risk of age-related disease in animal models and their translational potential for humans. We focused on studies that have examined the potential role of senotherapeutics in slowing the aging process and modifying age-related disease burdens. The review concludes with a general discussion of the mechanisms underlying this unique trajectory and its implications for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Boccardi
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Miranda Ethel Orr
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Salisbury VA Medical Center, Salisbury, North Carolina, USA
| | - M Cristina Polidori
- Ageing Clinical Research, Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress-Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carmelinda Ruggiero
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Patrizia Mecocci
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Castagnola MJ, Medina-Paz F, Zapico SC. Uncovering Forensic Evidence: A Path to Age Estimation through DNA Methylation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4917. [PMID: 38732129 PMCID: PMC11084977 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Age estimation is a critical aspect of reconstructing a biological profile in forensic sciences. Diverse biochemical processes have been studied in their correlation with age, and the results have driven DNA methylation to the forefront as a promising biomarker. DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification, has been extensively studied in recent years for developing age estimation models in criminalistics and forensic anthropology. Epigenetic clocks, which analyze DNA sites undergoing hypermethylation or hypomethylation as individuals age, have paved the way for improved prediction models. A wide range of biomarkers and methods for DNA methylation analysis have been proposed, achieving different accuracies across samples and cell types. This review extensively explores literature from the past 5 years, showing scientific efforts toward the ultimate goal: applying age prediction models to assist in human identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Josefina Castagnola
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
| | - Francisco Medina-Paz
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
| | - Sara C. Zapico
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tiernan Hall 365, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; (M.J.C.); (F.M.-P.)
- Department of Anthropology and Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History, MRC 112, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
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Chen H, Tang H, Zhang X, Huang J, Luo N, Guo Q, Wang X. Adherence to Life's Essential 8 is associated with delayed biological aging: a population-based cross-sectional study. REVISTA ESPANOLA DE CARDIOLOGIA (ENGLISH ED.) 2024:S1885-5857(24)00142-7. [PMID: 38663840 DOI: 10.1016/j.rec.2024.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the potential of adhering to the American Heart Association's updated Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores in delaying biological aging amid growing concerns about aging populations and related diseases. METHODS A total of 18 261 adults (≥ 20 years old) were examined using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2005-2010 and 2015-2018. The LE8 includes 8 components, covering health behaviors and factors. Acceleration of biological aging was defined as an excess of biological/phenotypic age over chronological age, assessed by using clinical biomarkers. The association between LE8 score and biological aging was explored through regression analyses. RESULTS Each 10-point increase in LE8 scores was associated with a 1.19-year decrease in biological age and a 1.63-year decrease in phenotypic age. Individuals with high cardiovascular health (CVH) had a 90% reduction in their risk of accelerated aging based on biological age and an 81% reduction based on phenotypic age compared with individuals with low CVH. Bootstrap-based model estimates and weighted quantile sum regression suggested that health factors, particularly blood glucose, had strong impact on delaying aging. The association between smoking and biological aging seemed to differ depending on the definition of aging used. Among all subgroups, LE8 consistently correlated negatively with biological aging, despite observed interactions. Three sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of our conclusions. CONCLUSIONS A higher CVH is associated with a lower risk of biological aging. Maintaining elevated LE8 levels across demographics, regardless of cardiovascular history, is recommended to delay aging and promote healthy aging, with significant implications for primary health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Haoxian Tang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China; Department of Clinical Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China; Department of Bone & Joint Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingtao Huang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China; Department of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nan Luo
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China; Department of Psychiatry, Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, China
| | - Qingqian Guo
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
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Sala C, Di Lena P, Fernandes Durso D, Faria do Valle I, Bacalini MG, Dall’Olio D, Franceschi C, Castellani G, Garagnani P, Nardini C. Where are we in the implementation of tissue-specific epigenetic clocks? FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2024; 4:1306244. [PMID: 38501111 PMCID: PMC10944965 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2024.1306244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: DNA methylation clocks presents advantageous characteristics with respect to the ambitious goal of identifying very early markers of disease, based on the concept that accelerated ageing is a reliable predictor in this sense. Methods: Such tools, being epigenomic based, are expected to be conditioned by sex and tissue specificities, and this work is about quantifying this dependency as well as that from the regression model and the size of the training set. Results: Our quantitative results indicate that elastic-net penalization is the best performing strategy, and better so when-unsurprisingly-the data set is bigger; sex does not appear to condition clocks performances and tissue specific clocks appear to perform better than generic blood clocks. Finally, when considering all trained clocks, we identified a subset of genes that, to the best of our knowledge, have not been presented yet and might deserve further investigation: CPT1A, MMP15, SHROOM3, SLIT3, and SYNGR. Conclusion: These factual starting points can be useful for the future medical translation of clocks and in particular in the debate between multi-tissue clocks, generally trained on a large majority of blood samples, and tissue-specific clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Sala
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pietro Di Lena
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Danielle Fernandes Durso
- National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq), Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Brasília, Brazil
| | | | | | - Daniele Dall’Olio
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Gastone Castellani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Christine Nardini
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo “Mauro Picone”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
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Vera-Chang MN, Danforth JM, Stuart M, Goodarzi AA, Brand M, Richardson RB. Profound DNA methylomic differences between single- and multi-fraction alpha irradiations of lung fibroblasts. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:174. [PMID: 37891670 PMCID: PMC10612361 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01564-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha (α)-radiation is a ubiquitous environmental agent with epigenotoxic effects. Human exposure to α-radiation at potentially harmful levels can occur repetitively over the long term via inhalation of naturally occurring radon gas that accumulates in enclosed spaces, or as a result of a single exposure from a nuclear accident. Alterations in epigenetic DNA methylation (DNAm) have been implicated in normal aging and cancer pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the effects of aberrations in the methylome of human lung cells following exposure to single or multiple α-irradiation events on these processes remain unexplored. RESULTS We performed genome-wide DNAm profiling of human embryonic lung fibroblasts from control and irradiated cells using americium-241 α-sources. Cells were α-irradiated in quadruplicates to seven doses using two exposure regimens, a single-fraction (SF) where the total dose was given at once, and a multi-fraction (MF) method, where the total dose was equally distributed over 14 consecutive days. Our results revealed that SF irradiations were prone to a decrease in DNAm levels, while MF irradiations mostly increased DNAm. The analysis also showed that the gene body (i.e., exons and introns) was the region most altered by both the SF hypomethylation and the MF hypermethylation. Additionally, the MF irradiations induced the highest number of differentially methylated regions in genes associated with DNAm biomarkers of aging, carcinogenesis, and cardiovascular disease. The DNAm profile of the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes suggests that the fibroblasts manifested a defensive response to the MF α-irradiation. Key DNAm events of ionizing radiation exposure, including changes in methylation levels in mitochondria dysfunction-related genes, were mainly identified in the MF groups. However, these alterations were under-represented, indicating that the mitochondria undergo adaptive mechanisms, aside from DNAm, in response to radiation-induced oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS We identified a contrasting methylomic profile in the lung fibroblasts α-irradiated to SF compared with MF exposures. These findings demonstrate that the methylome response of the lung cells to α-radiation is highly dependent on both the total dose and the exposure regimen. They also provide novel insights into potential biomarkers of α-radiation, which may contribute to the development of innovative approaches to detect, prevent, and treat α-particle-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn N Vera-Chang
- Radiobiology and Health Branch, Chalk River Laboratories, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, K0J 1J0, Canada
| | - John M Danforth
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, Robson DNA Science Centre, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Marilyne Stuart
- Environment and Waste Technologies Branch, Chalk River Laboratories, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, K0J 1J0, Canada
| | - Aaron A Goodarzi
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, Robson DNA Science Centre, Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Marjorie Brand
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Richard B Richardson
- Radiobiology and Health Branch, Chalk River Laboratories, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, K0J 1J0, Canada.
- McGill Medical Physics Unit, Cedars Cancer Centre-Glen Site, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
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Ton R, Boner W, Raveh S, Monaghan P, Griffith SC. Effects of heat waves on telomere dynamics and parental brooding effort in nestlings of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia castanotis) transitioning from ectothermy to endothermy. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4911-4920. [PMID: 37395529 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Heat waves are predicted to be detrimental for organismal physiology with costs for survival that could be reflected in markers of biological state such as telomeres. Changes in early life telomere dynamics driven by thermal stress are of particular interest during the early post-natal stages of altricial birds because nestlings quickly shift from being ectothermic to endothermic after hatching. Telomeres of ectothermic and endothermic organisms respond differently to environmental temperature, but few investigations within species that transition from ectothermy to endothermy are available. Also, ambient temperature influences parental brooding behaviour, which will alter the temperature experienced by offspring and thereby, potentially, their telomeres. We exposed zebra finch nestlings to experimental heat waves and compared their telomere dynamics to that of a control group at 5, 12 and 80 days of age that encapsulate the transition from the ectothermic to the endothermic thermoregulatory stage; we also recorded parental brooding, offspring sex, mass, growth rates, brood size and hatch order. Nestling mass showed an inverse relationship with telomere length, and nestlings exposed to heat waves showed lower telomere attrition during their first 12 days of life (ectothermic stage) compared to controls. Additionally, parents of heated broods reduced the time they spent brooding offspring (at 5 days old) compared to controls. Our results indicate that the effect of heat waves on telomere dynamics likely varies depending on age and thermoregulatory stage of the offspring in combination with parental brooding behaviour during growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Ton
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Winnie Boner
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Shirley Raveh
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Simon C Griffith
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Bafei SEC, Shen C. Biomarkers selection and mathematical modeling in biological age estimation. NPJ AGING 2023; 9:13. [PMID: 37393295 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-023-00110-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Biological age (BA) is important for clinical monitoring and preventing aging-related disorders and disabilities. Clinical and/or cellular biomarkers are measured and integrated in years using mathematical models to display an individual's BA. To date, there is not yet a single or set of biomarker(s) and technique(s) that is validated as providing the BA that reflects the best real aging status of individuals. Herein, a comprehensive overview of aging biomarkers is provided and the potential of genetic variations as proxy indicators of the aging state is highlighted. A comprehensive overview of BA estimation methods is also provided as well as a discussion of their performances, advantages, limitations, and potential approaches to overcome these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solim Essomandan Clémence Bafei
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chong Shen
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, Jiangsu, China.
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Park JYC, King A, Björk V, English BW, Fedintsev A, Ewald CY. Strategic outline of interventions targeting extracellular matrix for promoting healthy longevity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 325:C90-C128. [PMID: 37154490 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00060.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM), composed of interlinked proteins outside of cells, is an important component of the human body that helps maintain tissue architecture and cellular homeostasis. As people age, the ECM undergoes changes that can lead to age-related morbidity and mortality. Despite its importance, ECM aging remains understudied in the field of geroscience. In this review, we discuss the core concepts of ECM integrity, outline the age-related challenges and subsequent pathologies and diseases, summarize diagnostic methods detecting a faulty ECM, and provide strategies targeting ECM homeostasis. To conceptualize this, we built a technology research tree to hierarchically visualize possible research sequences for studying ECM aging. This strategic framework will hopefully facilitate the development of future research on interventions to restore ECM integrity, which could potentially lead to the development of new drugs or therapeutic interventions promoting health during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Young Cecilia Park
- Laboratory of Extracellular Matrix Regeneration, Institute of Translational Medicine, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Aaron King
- Foresight Institute, San Francisco, California, United States
| | | | - Bradley W English
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | | | - Collin Y Ewald
- Laboratory of Extracellular Matrix Regeneration, Institute of Translational Medicine, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
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9
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Baldelli L, Pirazzini C, Sambati L, Ravaioli F, Gentilini D, Calandra-Buonaura G, Guaraldi P, Franceschi C, Cortelli P, Garagnani P, Bacalini MG, Provini F. Epigenetic clocks suggest accelerated aging in patients with isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:48. [PMID: 36997543 PMCID: PMC10063653 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00492-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) is the strongest prodromal marker for α-synucleinopathies. Overt α-synucleinopathies and aging share several mechanisms, but this relationship has been poorly investigated in prodromal phases. Using DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks, we measured biological aging in videopolysomnography confirmed iRBD patients, videopolysomnography-negative and population-based controls. We found that iRBDs tended to be epigenetically older than controls, suggesting that accelerated aging characterizes prodromal neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Baldelli
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Pirazzini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luisa Sambati
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Ravaioli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Davide Gentilini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomics Unit, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Calandra-Buonaura
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pietro Guaraldi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky State University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Pietro Cortelli
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Federica Provini
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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Forensic Age Estimation through a DNA Methylation-Based Age Prediction Model in the Italian Population: A Pilot Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065381. [PMID: 36982454 PMCID: PMC10049185 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic marks which has been studied intensively in recent years for age predicting purposes in the forensic area. In order to integrate age prediction into routine forensic workflow, the purpose of this study was to standardize and optimize a DNA methylation-based protocol tailored to the Italian context. A previously published protocol and age-predictive method was implemented for the analysis of 84 blood samples originating from Central Italy. The study here presented is based on the Single Base Extension method, considering five genes: ELOVL2, FHL2, KLF14, C1orf132, now identified as MIR29B2C, and TRIM59. The precise and specific steps consist of DNA extraction and quantification, bisulfite conversion, amplification of converted DNA, first purification, single base extension, second purification, capillary electrophoresis, and analysis of the results to train and test the tool. The prediction error obtained, expressed as mean absolute deviation, showed a value of 3.12 years in the training set and 3.01 years in the test set. Given that population-based differences in DNA methylation patterns have been previously reported in the literature, it would be useful to further improve the study implementing additional samples representative of the entire Italian population.
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11
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Ayala-Guerrero L, Claudio-Galeana S, Furlan-Magaril M, Castro-Obregón S. Chromatin Structure from Development to Ageing. Subcell Biochem 2023; 102:7-51. [PMID: 36600128 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-21410-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear structure influences genome architecture, which contributes to determine patterns of gene expression. Global changes in chromatin dynamics are essential during development and differentiation, and are one of the hallmarks of ageing. This chapter describes the molecular dynamics of chromatin structure that occur during development and ageing. In the first part, we introduce general information about the nuclear lamina, the chromatin structure, and the 3D organization of the genome. Next, we detail the molecular hallmarks found during development and ageing, including the role of DNA and histone modifications, 3D genome dynamics, and changes in the nuclear lamina. Within the chapter we discuss the implications that genome structure has on the mechanisms that drive development and ageing, and the physiological consequences when these mechanisms fail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorelei Ayala-Guerrero
- Departamento de Neurodesarrollo y Fisiología, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sherlyn Claudio-Galeana
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mayra Furlan-Magaril
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Susana Castro-Obregón
- Departamento de Neurodesarrollo y Fisiología, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular health (CVH) was defined by the American Heart Association as an integrative idealness of seven clinical or lifestyle factors. Based on populations of European ancestry, recent studies have shown that ideal CVH is associated with a slower aging rate. The aging rate is measured by levels of epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), usually obtained from the residuals of regressing DNA methylation (DNAm) age on chronological age. However, little has been known about the association of CVH with biological aging in Asian populations. METHODS AND RESULTS We here analyzed blood DNAm data and clinical/lifestyle factors of 2474 Taiwan Biobank (TWB) participants, to investigate the association of CVH with EAA. CVH was assessed by seven components: smoking status, physical activity, dietary habits, body mass index, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, and blood pressure levels. Four measures of EAA were applied, among which two were based on the first-generation DNAm clocks (HannumEAA and IEAA) and two were based on the second-generation clocks (PhenoEAA and GrimEAA). After excluding 276 individuals with cardiovascular diseases, we regressed EAA on the CVH score (ranging from 0 to 7, integrating the abovementioned seven components) while adjusting for sex, drinking status, and educational attainment. Our results showed that a decrease in one point in the CVH score was associated with a 0.350-year PhenoEAA (p = 4.5E-4) and a 0.499-year GrimEAA (p = 4.2E-15). By contrast, HannumEAA and IEAA were not significantly associated with the CVH score. We have obtained consistent results within each generation of epigenetic clocks. CONCLUSIONS This is one of the first studies to comprehensively investigate the associations of CVH with four epigenetic clocks. Our TWB data showed that ideal CVH is associated with lower levels of EAA calculated according to the second-generation epigenetic clocks (PhenoEAA and GrimEAA). Having an ideal CVH status can lower EAA and reduce the risk of aging-related disorders.
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Abstract
Biology of aging is an active and rapidly expanding area of biomedical research. Over the years, focus of work in this field has been gradually shifting from studying the effects and symptoms of aging to searching for mechanisms of the aging process. Progress of this work led to an additional shift from looking for “the mechanism” of aging and formulating the corresponding “theories of aging” to appreciation that aging represents a net result of multiple physiological changes and their intricate interactions. It was also shown that mechanisms of aging include nutrient-dependent signaling pathways which have been remarkably conserved in the course of the evolution. Another important development in this field is increased emphasis on searching for pharmacological and environmental interventions that can extend healthspan or influence other aspects of aging. Progress in understanding the key role of aging as a risk factor for chronic disease provides impetus for these studies. Data from the recent pandemic provided additional evidence for the impact of age on resilience. Progress of work in this area also was influenced by major analytical and technological advances, including greatly improved methods for the study of gene expression, protein, lipids, and metabolites profiles, enhanced ability to produce various genetic modifications and novel approaches to assessment of biological age. Progress in research on the biology of aging provides reasons for optimism about the chances that safe and widely applicable anti-aging interventions with significant benefits for both individual and public health will be developed in the not too distant future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Bartke
- Department of Internal Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, 801 N. Rutledge St., P. O. Box 19628, Springfield, IL, 62794-9628, USA.
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