A new tool called Cheekage has been developed by researchers from the United States, using methylation in cheek mucosa cells to assess the risk of mortality. The team behind Cheekage has demonstrated that it can reliably evaluate the risk of mortality, even when epigenetic data from different tissues are used for analysis.
Epigenetic markers are chemical changes in DNA that do not alter the genetic code but can impact gene function. Methylation, a common epigenetic change associated with aging, is used by scientists to create “age clocks” that assess biological age and the rate of aging.
In a recent study utilizing Cheekage, researchers applied the tool to assess mortality among 1513 individuals born in 1921 and 1936, whose data were collected as part of the Lothian Birth Cohorts University study. The tool was developed based on an analysis of methylation levels at 200,000 DNA sites and their correlation with health and lifestyle factors.
Cheekage exhibited a strong correlation with mortality risk and outperformed existing epigenetic clocks based on blood tests. The study found that each standard increase in Cheekage was associated with a 21% higher risk of mortality.
Researchers also identified key genes linked to age-related diseases, such as PDZRN4, which can suppress tumors, and ALPK2, which plays a role in cardiovascular health. These genes were also associated with conditions like cancer, osteoporosis, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome.
The findings of this research were published in the journal Frontiers in Aging.