Human brain aging is associated with dysregulation of cell type epigenetic identity.

ABSTRACT: Significant links between aging and DNA methylation are emerging from recent studies. On the one hand, DNA methylation undergoes changes with age, a process termed as epigenetic drift. On the other hand, DNA methylation serves as a readily accessible and accurate biomarker for aging. A key missing piece of information, however, is the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes and how they are related, if any. Addressing the limitations of previous research due to the limited number of investigated CpGs and the heterogeneous nature of tissue samples, here, we have examined DNA methylation of over 20 million CpGs across a broad age span in neurons and non-neuronal cells, primarily oligodendrocytes. We show that aging is a primary predictor of DNA methylation variation, surpassing the i

SUBMITTER: Jeong H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12181473 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature