A new study has suggested novel and surprising insights on the connection between retroelements and the ageing process.
Embedded in our DNA, retroelements are remnants of ancient viral infections that are silenced by DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism that cells can use to control gene expression.
Researchers have shown that analysis of retroelement-based epigenetic signatures can be used to highly predict chronological age. However, in a surprising turn, this epigenetic clock appeared to be not only highly accurate in human blood but also across various tissues and also in other mammalian species.
said Lishomwa Ndhlovu, the Herbert J. and Ann L. Siegel Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, commented: “Our novel portrayal of distinct epigenetic hotspots within endogenous retroelements that appears to accurately quantify individual ageing, opens the door to new insights on how retroelements are involved in human ageing.
“These findings have implications in our understanding of age-related disease processes across populations and in guiding advances in geroscience research.”
The study also further highlighted the potential versatility of epigenetic age clocks by exhibiting reversibility during temporary changes, accelerated ageing in individuals living with HIV-1, response to antiretroviral treatment, and accurate even estimations of the age of lab-grown human brain tissues.
“We are excited by this surprising finding. We show that HERVs and LINEs methylation patterns may be used for highly accurate epigenetic clocks of immune system ageing, which supports the hypothesis that interspersed repeat elements may be involved in ageing,” added TruDiagnostic bioinformatician Natalia Carreras-Gallo.
“Additionally, the fact that this clock has very little overlap with previous clocks’ locations hints to a possibly unique and novel feature in ageing.”
With new research pointing to the possibility that retroelements may contribute to the ageing process, the findings could pave the way for the development of targeted therapies for a range of age-related conditions.
The study was carried out by researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and the epigenetic company, TruDiagnostic, and published in Aging Cell.
