Paywalled, but I used the archive server trick to bypass (note that you can also follow the link in the article to the full pdf of the study)
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Related paper (open access/preprint):
DNA Methylation Ageing Atlas Across 17 Human Tissues
Aging involves widespread epigenetic remodeling across tissues, yet the nature and consistency of these changes remain unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of more than 15,000 human methylomes spanning 17 tissues, identifying both conserved and tissue-specific aging signatures. We examined linear changes via differentially methylated positions, variability shifts via variably methylated positions, and Shannon-entropy to capture methylation disorder. Network analysis revealed fragile co-methylation modules largely resistant to beneficial perturbation. Key disruptors, including PCDHGA1, MEST, HDAC4, and HOX genes, exacerbated aging signals across tissues. Notably, a resilient module enriched for NAD⁺ salvage metabolism supports therapeutic targeting of NAD⁺ in aging. PCDHGA1 emerged as a conserved cross-tissue driver, suggesting protocadherin-mediated adhesion plays a broader role in maintaining structural and signaling stability in multiple organ systems. Our open-access atlas provides a foundational resource for dissecting the molecular architecture of human aging and identifying testable targets for intervention, biomarkers, and translational epigenetic therapies.
Landmark ‘ageing atlas’ reveals how your organs change over a lifetime
Scientists are building the clearest picture yet of how we age – right now to your cells and DNA
The visible signs of ageing – wrinkles, greying hair, aching joints – are only the surface expression of something far more intricate happening inside our cells. Beneath the surface, every organ in the body undergoes its own subtle molecular transformation as we grow older.
Now, scientists have built the most comprehensive map yet of how that process unfolds.
Drawing on data from more than 15,000 samples, the findings, detailed in a preprint study awaiting peer review, offer an unprecedented view of how ageing rewrites our genome’s operating manual from head to toe.
Researchers from around the world teamed up to create a sweeping ‘ageing atlas’ that charts DNA methylation – chemical tags that regulate gene activity – across 17 types of human tissue, tracking changes as we grow older.
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