Epigenetic Age Acceleration in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Revealed by DNA Methylation Clocks.

Daniel B Kurbanov, Farida Ahangari, Taylor Adams, Ruben De Man, Jessica Tang, Marianne Carlon, Nebal Abu Hussein, Emmanuela Cortesi, Marta Zapata, Laurens De Sadeleer, Wim Wuyts, Bart Vanaudenaerde, Naftali Kaminski, John E McDonough

Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

In this research, we delve into the association between epigenetic aging and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a debilitating lung disease that progresses over time. Utilizing the Illumina MethylationEPIC array, we assessed DNA methylation levels in donated human lung tissue from IPF patients, categorizing the disease into mild, moderate, and severe stages based on clinical assessments. We employed seven epigenetic clocks to determine age acceleration, which is the discrepancy between biological (epigenetic) and chronological age. Our findings revealed a notable acceleration of biological aging in IPF tissues compared to healthy controls, with four clocks-Horvath's, Hannum's, PhenoAge, and DunedinPACE-showing significant correlations. DunedinPACE, in particular, indicated a more rapid aging process in the more severe regions within the lungs of IPF cases. These results suggest that the biological aging process in IPF is expedited and closely tied to the severity of the disease. The study underscores the potential of DNA methylation as a biomarker for IPF, providing valuable insights into the underlying methylation patterns and the dynamics of epigenetic aging in affected lung tissue. This research supports the broader application of epigenetic clocks in clinical prognosis and highlights the critical role of biological age in the context of medical research and healthcare.

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Research summary

The study claims that biological aging is accelerated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis tissues compared to healthy controls. This research is relevant as it explores the relationship between epigenetic aging and a specific age-related disease, potentially offering insights into the biological mechanisms of aging and their implications for clinical prognosis.

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