DNA Methylation Clocks Based on Horvath Clock Model - Paper Example

Introduction

The DNA methylation clock according to Horvath epigenetic clock mainly measures the vicissitudes in a cell's progenitors rather than the measure of the biological age of cells in terms of phenotype. The changes that occur to cell's progenitors are the biomarkers of age in an individual.

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Biological Underpinnings

The interactions between behavioral and lifestyle factors significantly influence health outcomes. The exposure to the environmental factors affects the molecular cells or the biomarkers of age which consequently leads to DNA methylation changes. As a result of DNA methylation, a person may develop health outcomes such as cancer and fibrosis.

Alternate Clock Design

Hannum's clock is another method of estimating the molecular age. Unlike Horvath's clock which measures DNA methylation in tissues and cells, Hannum's clock focuses on the methylation levels in the blood.

Why the Chosen Alternate Design is Interesting

The interesting aspect of Hannum's clock is that it facilitates the measurement of all-cause mortality in an individual. Unlike Horvath's clock which may facilitate the assessment of DNA methylation changes through the assessment of tissues and cells, Hannum's clock applies primarily to blood in assessing molecular age.

The Cause of DNA Methylation Changes Based On DNA Methylation Clocks Knowledge

Various factors contribute to changes in DNA methylation levels such as the diet, knowledge, behaviors, and physical activity. Although the DNA compositions of an offspring may be determined by the DNA of the parent, the lifestyle and behavioral factors influences DNA Methylation changes. This explains the link between health disparity and social adversity.

Diagram's Question Discussion

The clocks explain much about DNA methylation changes over time. They explain that besides attaining DNA from a parent, the social activities and behavioral factors significantly determine DNA methylation changes and influence aging in an individual as well as health outcomes.

Experiment to Address the Diagram's Question

The experiment suitable to address the issue the clocks in determining the DNA methylation changes should involve drawing sample to assess the levels of Vertebrate CpG islands in the body tissues and cells. The samples are the evaluated over time to assess the prevalence of any changes in the DNA methylation.

Bibliography

Jones MJ, Goodman SJ, Kobor MS. DNA methylation and healthy human aging. Aging cell. 2015 Dec;14(6):924-32.

Marioni RE, Shah S, McRae AF, Chen BH, Colicino E, Harris SE, Gibson J, Henders AK, Redmond P, Cox SR, Pattie A. DNA methylation age of blood predicts all-cause mortality in later life. Genome biology. 2015 Dec;16(1):25.

Notterman DA, Mitchell C. Epigenetics and understanding the impact of social determinants of health. Pediatric Clinics. 2015 Oct 1;62(5):1227-40.

Stubbs TM, Bonder MJ, Stark AK, Krueger F, von Meyenn F, Stegle O, Reik W. Multi-tissue DNA methylation age predictor in mouse. Genome biology. 2017 Dec;18(1):68.