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🔬TODAY’S BREAKTHROUGH
A new study shows that epigenetic information loss, the erosion of tissue-unique DNA methylation patterns, is a shared hallmark across multiple age-related diseases and natural aging.
The Discovery:
By mapping tissue-specific methylation sites across 30 human tissues, researchers found that with aging and diseases like chronic kidney disease, liver disease, and type 2 diabetes, these unique patterns regress toward a “common” state. This regression blurs tissue identity, reflecting a fundamental loss of epigenetic information that drives dysfunction.
The Science:
Kidney disease: Tissue-unique methylation sites regressed to the mean as fibrosis progressed, signaling epigenetic information loss.
Liver diseases: In PBC, NASH, PSC, and NAFLD, 99.6% of liver-specific methylation sites lost their unique signature, converging toward other tissues.
Type 2 diabetes: Adipose tissue (especially visceral fat) showed global methylation increases and regression to the mean, while pancreas tissue diverged, suggesting tissue-specific dynamics.
Environmental stress: Sun-exposed skin showed clear epigenetic information loss in the epidermis compared to protected sites.
Aging itself: Brain and intestinal tissues exhibited age-dependent erosion of tissue-unique methylation sites, consistent with systemic information loss.
Cell-type resolution: Neurons regressed to the mean with age, while glial cells surprisingly diverged, strengthening their signature.
Diagnostic potential: Using only methylation data, the method classified disease states (e.g., CKD, skin photoaging) with up to 100% accuracy.
Your Action:
This research highlights the importance of protecting epigenetic integrity. While interventions are still experimental, you can reduce epigenetic stressors now: avoid smoking, minimize pollution exposure, manage chronic inflammation, and prioritize recovery through sleep, diet, and exercise.
Bottom Line:
Epigenetic information loss links aging and disease, a unifying signature that may enable early diagnosis and new rejuvenation therapies.
Source:
Epigenetic information loss is a common feature of multiple diseases and aging. GeroScience. Sagy N, Chang C, Bar DZ, et al.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-025-01767-7
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