Epigenetic clock: A promising biomarker and practical tool in aging

Abstract

As a complicated process, aging is characterized by various changes at the cellular, subcellular and nuclear levels, one of which is epigenetic aging. With increasing awareness of the critical role that epigenetic alternations play in aging, DNA methylation patterns have been employed as a measure of biological age, currently referred to as the epigenetic clock. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the epigenetic clock as a biomarker of aging and a useful tool to manage healthy aging. In this burgeoning scientific field, various kinds of epigenetic clocks continue to emerge, including Horvath's clock, Hannum's clock, DNA PhenoAge, and DNA GrimAge. We hereby present the most classic epigenetic clocks, as well as their differences. Correlations of epigenetic age with morbidity, mortality and other factors suggest the potential of epigenetic clocks for risk prediction and identification in the context of aging. In particular, we summarize studies on promising age-reversing interventions, with epigenetic clocks employed as a practical tool in the efficacy evaluation. We also discuss how the lack of higher-quality information poses a major challenge, and offer some suggestions to address existing obstacles. Hopefully, our review will help provide an appropriate understanding of the epigenetic clocks, thereby enabling novel insights into the aging process and how it can be manipulated to promote healthy aging.

Keywords: Aging; Chronological age; DNA methylation; Epigenetic age; Epigenetic clock.