Scientists used a biological marker - an epigenetic clock, through the use of which it was possible to identify a gene that determines the principle of aging of the human body.

Several options are known, the use of which makes it possible to determine the age of a person. Among them are the following:

Chronological. With it, scientists can determine the life expectancy of the body, in parallel with which biological age indicates the functioning of the body at the molecular level.

Epigenetic clock. This is the most effective and reliable tool with which you can determine the biological age of the body. This option was proposed in 2013 by two scientists (Trey Ideker and Steve Horvath). Epigenetic clocks are a mathematical model that predicts the age of the body, taking into account the degree to which DNA is methylated in different parts of the genome.

The methylation process consists in changing the DNA molecules, during which the change in the functioning of the sequence of genes in the molecule is excluded. Methylation is a prerequisite for the normal growth and development of living cells. The determining factors that influence this process are environmental factors and the vital activity of the organism itself.

In one of the works, scientists analyzed different sets of genetic information from different organisms. Thanks to this, they were able to determine the combination of genes that have a direct effect on the acceleration of the flow of biological time of the body. A prerequisite for research was the creation of the same conditions in which the studied organisms are located. After lengthy research, scientists managed to isolate one of the nsd1 genes. If it is in the body, it has an aging process much faster than organisms in which this gene is absent.

The research results make it possible to control the aging process by using the latest gene editing technology.

In the future, scientists plan to conduct further research aimed at identifying new genes that also affect the aging of the body.