Aging, Stem Cells, and Biological Clocks

Epigenetic clocks based on tissue DNA methylation analysis have emerged as robust and powerful biomarkers of aging.  This technology has allowed scientists to investigate how diseases affect the aging process, to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic aging interventions, and to correlate age with overall health among the general public. Today you can even purchase test kits online that enable you to measure your own biological age.  However, despite the growing use of epigenetic clocks in research, surprisingly little is known about the aging clock’s cellular underpinnings. For example, it remains unclear whether all cells within a tissue exhibit the same epigenetic age, and whether age-related cellular heterogeneity within a tissue affects the epigenetic clock. This is particularly relevant in regenerative tissues maintained by a hierarchy of stem, progenitor, and differentiated cells, all of which may change their frequencies within a tissue with age. The guests on today’s podcast tackle this important question through analyses of immature and mature cell populations from muscle, blood, and epithelia, using three different epigenetic clocks widely used in the field. They discuss their results, and the implications for the interpretation of existing clocks, and the development of more sensitive and accurate clocks. GuestsKonrad Hochedlinger, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, MA, USARebecca Gorelov, PhD, Harvard Medical School, USAHostMartin Pera, Editor-in-Chief, Stem Cell Reports and The Jackson LaboratoryX: @martinperaJAXSupporting PaperDissecting the impact of differentiation stage, replicative history, and cell type composition in epigenetic clocks, Stem Cell Reports About Stem Cell ReportsStem Cell Reports is the open access, peer-reviewed journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) for communicating basic discoveries in stem cell research, in addition to translational and clinical studies. Stem Cell Reports focuses on original research with conceptual or practical advances that are of broad interest to stem cell biologists and clinicians.X: @StemCellReportsAbout ISSCRWith nearly 5,000 members from 75+ countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (@ISSCR) is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. The ISSCR mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health.ISSCR StaffKeith Alm, Chief Executive OfficerYvonne Fisher, Managing Editor, Stem Cell ReportsKym Kilbourne, Director of Media and Strategic CommunicationsJack Mosher, Scientific AdvisorVoice WorkBen Snitkoff