Daily Fluctuations in Epigenetic Age Revealed by New Study
Scientists from Lithuania have conducted a groundbreaking study, highlighting how our epigenetic age, a measure of our cellular age, can vary significantly throughout a day. Epigenetic changes serve as ‘genetic switches’ and influence our cells’ interpretation of genetic instructions, potentially impacting our health and well-being. These discoveries, shedding light on the accuracy of current epigenetic tests, could have significant implications for age-related disease research and precision medicine.
Epigenetic Clocks: Measuring Cellular Age
Human cells possess a genetic code that controls the production of the necessary proteins for our survival. Over time, small modifications, referred to as epigenetic changes, are accumulated. While the genetic code itself may remain unchanged, these alterations function as ‘genetic switches’ that influence how cells interpret instructions. Epigenetic changes are widely utilized to estimate the biological age of cells and tissues.
Fluctuations Discovered in Epigenetic Changes
Aiming to explore any variations in epigenetic changes, the research team decided to analyze blood samples taken from a 52-year-old male volunteer over a period of 72 hours. The 17 epigenetic clocks studied within the collection of white cells showed intriguing results.
Surprisingly, 13 of the 17 epigenetic clocks exhibited significant fluctuations during the day. The clocks indicated that cells appeared to be ‘younger’ during the early hours of the morning and ‘older’ around midday. The relative differences observed reflected around 5.5 years’ worth of changes. These daily fluctuations align with the findings of a prior study conducted in 2020.
Challenges in Traditional Epigenetic Aging Studies
Past studies investigating epigenetic clocks frequently employ whole blood as the tissue of interest, assuming it to be a reliable representation of overall epigenetic age. However, this recent research suggests that the counts and proportions of different white blood cell subtypes, which strongly affect these measures, follow a 24-hour rhythmic pattern. Consequently, relying on a single epigenetic test at a specific time of day may not provide a complete view of the individual’s epigenetic age.
Implications and Future Prospects
Although the study’s sample size was limited to a single individual, further analysis using varied blood samples obtained from a small group validated the age fluctuations observed. These fluctuations persisted even when the study focused on a single type of white blood cell, indicating that other factors may contribute to the temporal changes in epigenetic age. The results emphasize the significance of considering daily oscillations during epigenetic age predictions and may inform future studies on age-related diseases.
By capturing a more comprehensive range of epigenetic age fluctuations, scientists can enhance the precision of predicting the risk of age-related diseases within populations. Furthermore, gaining a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving daily epigenetic variations may open opportunities for developing targeted interventions to improve overall health and quality of life.
The latest findings contribute valuable insights and innovative research to the field of cellular aging. Continued investigation and exploration are necessary to fully comprehend the impact and potential of epigenetic changes and their role in aging.
The research has been published in the scientific journal Aging Cell.
