Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have published results that shed new light on an old question: what causes aging at the molecular level? Their findings, published in Nature Aging, describe a never-before-seen link between the two most accepted explanations: random genetic mutations and predictable epigenetic modifications. The latter, also known as the epigenetic clock theory, has been widely used by scientists as a consistent, quantitative measure of biological aging.
However, the new research suggests that the process may not be so simple.
“Major research institutions and companies are betting on turning back the epigenetic clock as a strategy to reverse the effects of aging, but our research suggests that this may only be treating a symptom of aging, not the underlying cause,” said co-corresponding author Trey Ideker, Ph.D., a professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.
