Oxytocin, Epigenetic Aging, and the Social Regulation of Health: A Lifecourse Perspective on the Maejima et al. Findings.

Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg, Mechthild M Gross, Jean Calleja-Agius, Jonathan D Turner

Department of Animal Environment and Health, Section of Anthrozoology and Applied Ethology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden.Department of Animal Environment and Health, Section of Anthrozoology and Applied Ethology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

The elegant work by Maejima et al. recently published in Aging Cell reveals a previously unrecognized mechanism linking age-related oxytocin (OXT) decline to epigenetic remodeling, mitochondrial dysfunction, and systemic inflammation (Maejima et al. 2025). Beyond documenting this relationship, the authors demonstrate its remarkable reversibility through nasal OXT administration. These findings provide the first molecular evidence supporting what has long been proposed: that the OXT system functions as a fundamental long-term regulator of health across the entire lifespan, from early development through aging (Moberg 2024, 2003; Uvnas-Moberg 1998). The current work now gives a tantalizing glimpse into the epigenetic mechanism behind this life course regulation.

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Research summary

The paper claims that oxytocin decline is linked to epigenetic remodeling and that nasal oxytocin administration can reverse this decline. This research addresses a potential root cause of aging by exploring the role of oxytocin in health regulation across the lifespan, which is significant for longevity studies.

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