A computational solution for bolstering reliability of epigenetic clocks: Implications for clinical trials and longitudinal tracking.

ABSTRACT: Epigenetic clocks are widely used aging biomarkers calculated from DNA methylation data, but this data can be surprisingly unreliable. Here we show technical noise produces deviations up to 9 years between replicates for six prominent epigenetic clocks, limiting their utility. We present a computational solution to bolster reliability, calculating principal components from CpG-level data as input for biological age prediction. Our retrained principal-component versions of six clocks show agreement between most replicates within 1.5 years, improved detection of clock associations and intervention effects, and reliable longitudinal trajectories in vivo and in vitro. This method entails only one additional step compared to traditional clocks, requires no replicates or prior know

SUBMITTER: Higgins-Chen AT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9586209 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature