A recent study in the journal Nature Again has linked a process called DNA methylation to aging in mammals.
DNA methylation involves adding a methyl group to the cytosine base. It’s been a hot topic for scientists for a while. This new study has just turned the lights on about how DNA methylation rates are linked with mammals’ maximum lifespans. This revelation doesn’t just help us get the bigger picture of aging, but it could also help guess lifespans for species we’ve never seen before.
The research at DNA methylation in 42 different mammals from nine taxonomic orders and found something pretty cool. They saw that as mammals live longer, their methylation rates level off following a power law relationship. This tells us that most mammals might have a built-in limit to how long they can live.
The approach they took in this study was solid. They compared DNA methylation of each mammal side by side to dodge any bias you’d get from looking across various lifespans. The results made it clear that the link between methylation rate and lifespan doesn’t really depend on size. That points to a deep-rooted evolutionary check on lifespan.
The study’s findings are huge—they give us a better grasp on aging and lifespan. Plus, they open the door to figuring out the max lifespan of brand-new species by watching them over time. The study also hints at some specific relationships between methylation rates and lifespans, shedding light on the basics of how living things tick.
This groundbreaking work could totally change the game. We’re on the verge getting a better grasp of how aging works, looking closely at the biology that explains why different mammals live for various lengths of time. Researchers digging into DNA methylation and how it links to how long we live are likely to make more discoveries soon. Those findings could shake up what we know about getting older and how long humans can live.
