Scientists have discovered a rare disorder that accelerates the ageing process through a disruption in epigenetics. Epigenetics concerns changes in how genes function without altering the DNA sequence itself. In this disorder, an excess of DNA methylation leads to disruptions in gene regulation, which resembles the normal ageing process.
Normally, accelerated ageing diseases can arise due to problems with repairing DNA damage, causing cells to become damaged more quickly. This new finding shows that an anomaly in epigenetic processes can also cause similar effects. This helps researchers to better understand how various mechanisms contribute to ageing.
Although this condition at first glance resembles accelerated ageing, it actually involves a specific way in which cell function is disrupted. That means such diseases are not the same as the normal ageing process, but they do offer important clues for better understanding ageing.
For people striving for healthy and slow ageing, these insights offer new hope. The research could lead to more targeted treatments that keep epigenetics in balance and thus potentially delay ageing.
Source: Reason
