Tag: Editors’ Choice

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EDITORS’ CHOICE: Slowing intervertebral disc aging in mice through long-term systemic treatment with the senolytic BCL-2/BCL-xL proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) 753b

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Each month, we will highlight a paper published in Aging chosen as the “Editors’ Choice.” These selections are handpicked by our editors and accompanied by a brief summary, showcasing research with significant impact and novel insights in aging and age-related diseases.

A research paper recently published in Volume 18 of Aging, titled “Slowing intervertebral disc aging in mice through long-term systemic treatment with the senolytic BCL-2/BCL-xL proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) 753b,” examines whether the senolytic PROTAC 753b can slow age-related intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) in mice. Long-term systemic treatment with 753b reduced key features of disc degeneration in 22-month-old male mice, including matrix breakdown, loss of disc aggrecan, age-related structural changes, and inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and TNFα. These benefits, however, were not observed in female mice, highlighting potential sex-based differences in the role of cellular senescence in IDD and the response to senolytic therapies.

Click here to read the full research paper published in Volume 18 of Aging.

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To learn more about the journal, please visit www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media:

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EDITORS’ CHOICE: The multifaceted inducers of cellular senescence

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Each month, we will highlight a paper published in Aging chosen as the “Editors’ Choice.” These selections are handpicked by our editors and accompanied by a brief summary, showcasing research with significant impact and novel insights in aging and age-related diseases.

Cellular senescence is a hallmark of aging and age-related disease, yet the diverse mechanisms that trigger this cellular state remain incompletely understood. The review recently published in Volume 18 of Aging, titled “The multifaceted inducers of cellular senescence,” examines the many intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli that induce senescence, including DNA damage, oxidative and mitochondrial stress, telomere attrition, oncogene activation, cell–cell fusion, and developmental signals. The authors, Hilah Gal and Valery Krizhanovsky, explain how these distinct pathways converge on a stable cell-cycle arrest. By highlighting the complexity and heterogeneity of senescent cells, the authors provide valuable insights that may guide the development of future therapies targeting senescence to promote healthy aging and combat age-related diseases.

Click here to read the full review published in Volume 18 of Aging.

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To learn more about the journal, please visit www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media:

Click here to subscribe to Aging publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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EDITORS’ CHOICE: Epigenetic Aging Biomarkers Respond to Exercise and Dietary Intervention

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Each month, we will highlight a paper published in Aging chosen as the “Editors’ Choice.” These selections are handpicked by our editors and accompanied by a brief summary, showcasing research with significant impact and novel insights in aging and age-related diseases.

This exploratory randomized controlled trial, titled “Short-term responsiveness of DNA methylation–based aging biomarkers to a multimodal intervention comprising exercise and dietary guidance involving daily consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536: an exploratory randomized controlled trial,” investigated whether a 12-week lifestyle intervention combining exercise, dietary guidance, and daily consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536 could influence biological aging.

The researchers found a significant slowing of the DNA methylation-based pace of aging measure DunedinPACE in overweight men aged 50 and older, suggesting that feasible lifestyle changes may be associated with short-term improvements in selected epigenetic aging biomarkers.

Click here to read the full research paper published in Volume 18 of Aging.

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To learn more about the journal, please visit www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media:

Click here to subscribe to Aging publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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EDITORS’ CHOICE: Association of epigenetic age acceleration with MRI biomarkers of aging and Alzheimer’s disease neurodegeneration

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Each month, we will highlight a paper published in Aging-US chosen as the “Editors’ Choice.” These selections are handpicked by our editors and accompanied by a brief summary, showcasing research with significant impact and novel insights in aging and age-related diseases.

In the research paper, titled “Association of epigenetic age acceleration with MRI biomarkers of aging and Alzheimer’s disease neurodegeneration,” researchers investigated whether epigenetic clocks of biological aging are associated with MRI markers of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease-related neurodegeneration in 1,196 older women. While none of the five epigenetic clocks examined were linked to accelerated overall brain aging, one measure—AgeAccelGrim2—was associated with MRI patterns related to neurodegeneration.

The findings suggest this relationship was largely driven by DNA methylation markers linked to smoking history and changes in frontal and temporal brain regions rather than areas typically affected early in Alzheimer’s disease.

Overall, the study indicates that epigenetic aging and brain aging may reflect different aspects of the aging process, while highlighting the potential role of smoking-related biological aging in increasing dementia risk.

Click here to read the full research paper published in Aging-US.

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To learn more about the journal, please visit www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media:

Click here to subscribe to Aging-US publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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EDITORS’ CHOICE: Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with slower epigenetic aging

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Each month, we will highlight a paper published in Aging-US chosen as the “Editors’ Choice.” These selections are handpicked by our editors and accompanied by a brief summary, showcasing research with significant impact and novel insights in aging and age-related diseases.

In this study, titled “Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with slower epigenetic aging,” the researchers examined whether plant-based dietary patterns are linked to biological aging in large, diverse U.S. populations. Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), they analyzed several versions of plant-based diet scores that reflect higher intake of plant foods and lower intake of animal products, as well as distinctions between healthy and less healthy plant-based foods. They then compared these dietary patterns with DNA methylation-based “epigenetic clocks,” which estimate biological age, including GrimAge2, PhenoAge, and HannumAge.

The results showed that greater adherence to overall plant-based diets, provegetarian diets, and especially healthy plant-based diets was consistently associated with slower epigenetic aging, meaning participants appeared biologically younger than their chronological age. In contrast, diets higher in less healthy plant-based foods did not show the same benefits.

The findings suggest that diets emphasizing whole plant foods and limiting animal products may help slow biological aging at the molecular level.

Click here to read the full research paper published in Aging-US.

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To learn more about the journal, please visit www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media:

Click here to subscribe to Aging-US publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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EDITORS’ CHOICE: Single-cell transcriptomics reveal intrinsic and systemic T cell aging in COVID-19 and HIV

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Each month, we will highlight a paper published in Aging-US chosen as the “Editors’ Choice.” These selections are handpicked by our editors and accompanied by a brief summary, showcasing research with significant impact and novel insights in aging and age-related diseases.

Biomarkers of aging help researchers understand how diseases influence the body over time. However, most current biomarkers rely on measurements from mixed cell populations, making it difficult to distinguish between changes caused by shifts in cell types and aging processes occurring within individual cells.

In this study, titled “Single-cell transcriptomics reveal intrinsic and systemic T cell aging in COVID-19 and HIV” and published in Volume 18 of Aging-US, researchers used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze aging-related changes in human T cells. They developed Tictock, a single-cell transcriptomic clock that predicts both cellular age and T cell type across six human T cell subsets.

Applying this tool, the researchers found that acute COVID-19 was associated with increased proportions of CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells, while T cell composition remained relatively stable in individuals with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy (HIV+ART). Despite these differences, both conditions showed signs of accelerated transcriptomic aging, particularly in naïve CD8⁺ T cells.

Further analysis identified shared aging-related genes and biological pathways linked to ribosomal components and TNF receptor binding. These findings demonstrate how single-cell transcriptomic biomarkers can help separate systemic immune changes from cell-intrinsic aging processes, providing new tools to measure immune aging in disease.

Click here to read the full research paper published in Aging-US.

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To learn more about the journal, please visit www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media:

Click here to subscribe to Aging-US publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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EDITORS’ CHOICE: Age-specific DNA methylation alterations in sperm at imprint control regions may contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring

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Each month, we will highlight a paper published in Aging-US chosen as the “Editors’ Choice.” These selections are handpicked by our editors and accompanied by a brief summary, showcasing research with significant impact and novel insights in aging and age-related diseases.


The results of studies revealed in the paper published in Volume 17, Issue 12, titled “Age-specific DNA methylation alterations in sperm at imprint control regions may contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring,” indicate that advanced paternal age increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, potentially due to sperm epigenetic changes.

To explore this, the authors performed an epigenome-wide association study on sperm from 63 men using the Illumina 450K array, identifying 14,622 age-related differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs), with many linked to imprinted genes and imprint control regions (ICRs). These alterations may disrupt gene expression and contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like ASD. Several imprinted genes identified—including OTX1, PRDM16, and others—are associated with ASD, warranting further research into their role in paternal age effects on autism.

Further genetic research may clarify how paternal age affects autism. Changes in DNA methylation within ICRs before conception could add to ASD’s complexity. Though measured effects were small, even minor sperm epigenetic changes could influence populations as fatherhood is delayed. Preventive and educational programs could benefit public health.

Click here to read the full research paper published in Aging-US.

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To learn more about the journal, please visit www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us on social media:

Click here to subscribe to Aging-US publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

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