Cellular metabolism is a complex process that can be broken down into functional modules, each interacting indirectly with one another. Aging is a result of countless changes at the molecular level, affecting multiple areas of cell biochemistry. Recent research challenges the idea of a single biological age estimate by introducing Ageome, a framework that measures the epigenetic age of various molecular pathways simultaneously. Ageome reveals that different functional modules age at varying rates, offering a high-dimensional representation of biological aging. This approach has been applied to longevity intervention models, highlighting unique patterns of pathway-specific age deceleration. Interestingly, cell reprogramming can rejuvenate cells but also accelerate aging in certain modules. When applied to human cohorts, Ageome shows variations in predicting mortality risk, with some modules performing better in predicting age-related diseases like cancer. Overall, the Ageome framework provides a comprehensive and insightful way to assess aging and identify potential intervention targets.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.17.613599
