In a recent study published in the journal Nature Aging , a team of researchers used a large dataset consisting of participants of European ancestry from the United Kingdom (U.K.) Biobank to explore the genetic underpinnings of the biological age gap or BAG, a comprehensive human aging marker, across nine organ systems.
Study: The genetic architecture of biological age in nine human organ systems . Image Credit: Orawan Pattarawimonchai / Shutterstock A myriad of environmental, genetic, and lifestyle-associated factors contribute to and influence the complex process of biological aging. Understanding the genetic architecture and the phenotypic patterns of biological aging across the organ systems in the human body is essential for identifying the resilience factors and vulnerabilities of human health, as well as for assessing age-related diseases and developing personalized therapeutic interventions.
Studies have reported the involvement and connectedness of multiple organ systems in human health and disease, such as the heart-brain-liver axis and the biological pathways shared by the three organs. Other studies have reported the role of the central nervous system and inter-organ peptide and lipid-mediated signaling in metabolic health. The advances in artificial intelligence technology have also led to the adoption of the biological age gap (BAG) concept as a human aging biomarker in organ systems.
BAG is defined as the difference between an individual's age predicted through.
