Aging cells lose the epigenetic signals that preserve their identity

A new Nature paper connects aging with the loss of epigenetic information that helps cells keep their identity. That links two findings often discussed separately: aging cells lose regulatory signals, then begin to lose the identity that keeps them functioning as the right kind of cell.

The result supports the information theory of aging, which treats declining epigenetic control as a possible driver of age-related dysfunction rather than just a record of accumulated damage. Doğa Yücel and colleagues in the Vadim Gladyshev lab are now adding to research on whether restoring cellular identity can reverse aspects of aging.