Epigenetics
How the environment modifies gene expression without changing the DNA
Definition
Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence. The main mechanisms are DNA methylation (addition of methyl groups to cytosines), histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. These changes are heritable and reversible. The discovery that lifestyle, diet, and medical treatments can modify the epigenome has revolutionised longevity medicine.
Detailed explanation
David Sinclair (Harvard) proposes in his 'Information Theory of Ageing' that ageing is essentially a loss of epigenetic information: the epigenome becomes increasingly disorganised over time, like noise accumulating on an audio tape. Genes that should be active become silenced, and vice versa.
Epigenetic clocks (Horvath, GrimAge, DunedinPACE) measure precisely these methylation patterns to estimate biological age with an accuracy of ±1–3 years.
What makes epigenetics so relevant for longevity is its reversibility: interventions such as fasting, exercise, NAD+ IV, resveratrol, and certain peptides have demonstrated in studies the ability to reverse epigenetic markers of ageing. Yamanaka's experiment (Nobel Prize 2006) demonstrated that adult cells can be epigenetically reprogrammed to a pluripotent state, opening the door to partial reprogramming as a rejuvenation strategy.
Scientific sources
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