Accelerated epigenetic aging in Down syndrome.

Authors :: Horvath S
Garagnani P
Bacalini MG
Pirazzini C
Salvioli S
Gentilini D
Di Blasio AM
Giuliani C
Tung S
Vinters HV
Franceschi C
Source :: Aging cell [Aging Cell] 2015 Jun; Vol. 14 (3), pp. 491-5. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Feb 09.
Publication Year :: 2015
Abstract: Down Syndrome (DS) entails an increased risk of many chronic diseases that are typically associated with older age. The clinical manifestations of accelerated aging suggest that trisomy 21 increases the biological age of tissues, but molecular evidence for this hypothesis has been sparse. Here, we utilize a quantitative molecular marker of aging (known as the epigenetic clock) to demonstrate that trisomy 21 significantly increases the age of blood and brain tissue (on average by 6.6 years, P = 7.0 × 10(-14)).<br /> (© 2015 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)