Scientists can now determine your risk of dying using cells found in your mouth
Scientists have developed a new tool called CheekAge that can predict aging and mortality using cells inside the cheeks. This tool deals with DNA changes caused by lifestyle factors.
in short
- Poor lifestyle habits contribute to rapid aging, which leaves marks on DNA
- Scientists have determined a way to track these marks and calculate the risk of dying
- This method, CheekAge, takes cells from the cheek to reveal mortality risk.
Aging affects everyone differently, and while some people seem to age slowly due to good genes, many lifestyle factors can speed up the process.
Stress, poor sleep, unhealthy diet, smoking and alcohol all contribute to rapid aging. These habits leave marks on our DNA, and scientists have found ways to measure these changes to predict how fast a person is aging.
Over the past ten years, researchers have developed tools called “epigenetic clocks” that track these DNA changes.
‘Chikaze’ watch
These watches use samples of blood cells, but collecting blood can be stressful and difficult. Now, a group of scientists in the US have created a new version of this watch called CheekAge, which uses cells from the inside of your cheek – a very simple and painless procedure.
In a recent study published in Frontiers in Aging, researchers showed that CheekAge could accurately predict the risk of death, even when the DNA data came from other parts of the body, such as blood.
Dr Maxim Shokirev, who led the research, said: “We found specific markers that are closely linked to how long someone can live, and these markers can be tracked with our cheek cell-based clock. Could.”
How does checkage work?
The development of CheekAge involved looking at approximately 200,000 DNA sites in people’s cheek cells.
These sites were analyzed for signs of aging based on health and lifestyle factors. In the study, Dr. Shokhirev and his team tested how well the clock predicted mortality in a group of more than 1,500 people born in the 1920s and 1930s.
Researchers collected data on their DNA changes and tracked their health over time.
Their results showed that as young age increased, the risk of dying from any cause also increased.
In fact, for every small increase in cheek age, the risk of death increased by 21%. This means that the clock is highly accurate in predicting mortality risk in older adults.
Dr. Shokhirev further explained that because the clock works on different tissues, a simple cheek swab could become a valuable tool to study and monitor aging in the future.
What does chikinase tell us about our genes?
The researchers also took a closer look at which parts of the DNA were most associated with the risk of dying.
They found genes that are possibly involved in diseases such as cancer, heart problems, inflammation and metabolic syndrome. One of these genes, PDZRN4, may help suppress tumors, while another, ALPK2, is linked to heart health and cancer in animals.
Dr. Adiv Johnson, another scientist involved in the study, believes future research will explore whether these genes affect lifespan or health in humans.
They also hope to see more studies using CheekAge to predict not only death but also the likelihood of developing age-related diseases.
The future of aging research
The creation of CheekAge opens up new possibilities for how we study aging.
Since it is a non-invasive and easy method, it may soon be used to help people track aging and prevent age-related diseases before they occur.
The researchers said that with continued research, CheekAge could lead to breakthroughs in extending healthy years of life by better understanding and managing the biological clock ticking inside all of us.
