August 29, 2024

Transforming Imaging Measures Aging and Rejuvenation in Individual Cells

A multinational team of scientists has pioneered a groundbreaking approach to measuring biological age with unparalleled single-cell resolution, potentially revolutionizing our approach to aging and age-related diseases.

The research, published in Nature Aging (DOI 10.1038/s43587-024-00685-1) describes the development of the first imaging-based chromatin and epigenetic age (ImAge) – a biomarker capable of measuring biological age and its reversal with unprecedented precision using the intricate patterns of epigenetic marks.

Senior author Prof. Alexey Terskikh from The Scintillon Research Institute in San Diego, California, noted that the study provides a novel perspective on the aging process. “ImAge is rooted in the spatial organization of chromatin and epigenetic landscape in individual cells” he said. “Unlike traditional methods that often rely on chronological age, ImAge captures intrinsic age-related changes, providing a more reliable measure of biological age.”

“By offering a deep dive into cellular aging, ImAge enables us to better understand interventions at the level of individual tissues and organs,” Prof. Terskikh continued. “For instance, ImAge detects changes in biological age in response to various interventions, such as chemotherapy treatment, caloric restriction, and partial reprogramming.”

Importantly, ImAge readouts from chronologically identical mice inversely correlated with their locomotor activity in line with a trend common to most live organisms - more movements at a younger age - suggesting that ImAge captures biological or functional age.

The team believes this groundbreaking approach will have far-reaching implications for individualized approaches to age-related disease prevention and normative aging.

“This is the first time we've been able to observe aging at such a granular level,” Prof. Terskikh said.  ImAge sets the stage for future studies into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging, including spatial or “in situ” aging, and the development of novel interventions to improve healthspan and, eventually, extend human life.

Professor Terskikh’s research is supported by grants R41AG085951, R21AG083782, and R21AG088921 from the National Institutes of Health.

The Scintillon Research Institute is establishing an Aging Research Center to advance and expand groundbreaking work like that described in this publication. Our faculty have developed tools to track and repair cellular imbalances, modeled therapeutic approaches to protect the brain from dementia and viral infections, tested innovative methods for delivering medicine across the blood-brain barrier, and developed new drugs to restore hearing and vision.

Researchers at the Institute, along with our industry partners, are also pioneering the creation of robust and potentially long-lasting rejuvenating mRNA cocktails.

For further information, please email our team at info@scintillon.org

To support more research at our Aging Research Center, make a donation today at https://www.scintillon.org/donate