Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025
05:53
Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
16.6K
The epigenetics of frailty
Madia Lozupone1, Vincenzo Solfrizzi2, Rodolfo Sardone3
1Department of Translational Biomedicine & Neuroscience 'DiBraiN', University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Epigenomics
|December 19, 2023
Summary
Frailty is now viewed as a biopsychosocial trait influenced by environmental factors. Epigenetic changes, like DNA methylation, may link these exposures to biological aging and frailty development.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Epigenetics
- Biomedical Sciences
Background:
- Frailty is evolving from a purely physical condition to a biopsychosocial phenotype.
- Environmental factors like exercise, diet, and psychosocial elements are increasingly recognized in frailty.
- Understanding frailty requires examining interactions between genetics, epigenetics, multimorbidity, and the environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on epigenetic mechanisms linking environmental exposures to frailty.
- To explore frailty as a biomarker of aging, focusing on epigenetic hallmarks.
- To elucidate how environmental epigenetic factors influence biological aging and frailty.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on frailty, epigenetics, and aging.
- Analysis of epigenetic hallmarks: global DNA methylation, DNA methylation age acceleration, and microRNAs.
- Examination of the interplay between environmental factors and epigenetic modifications in aging.
Main Results:
- Epigenetic alterations, including DNA methylation patterns, are associated with frailty.
- DNA methylation age acceleration may serve as a biomarker for frailty.
- Environmental epigenetic factors are implicated in the pathophysiology of frailty.
Conclusions:
- Frailty can be understood as a consequence of environmental epigenetic influences on biological aging.
- A discrepancy between DNA methylation age and chronological age may indicate frailty.
- Epigenetics provides a crucial link between environmental exposures and the aging process in frailty.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Human Genetics
583
Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
583
01:37Epigenetic Regulation
3.0K
Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
X-chromosome...
3.0K
01:26Aging
54
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
54
01:20Gene-Environment Interactions
326
Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...
326
01:37Mitochondria
13.1K
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
13.1K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
34.5K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
34.5K