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Genomic Perspective on Heterogeneity of Organs and Body Aging
Shabnam Salimi1,2, Daniel Raftery2,3, Luigi Ferrucci1
1Translational Gerontology Branch, Biomedical Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Aging Cell
|January 3, 2026
Summary
Aging varies greatly between individuals and organs, not just by chronological age. Genomics, including DNA changes and epigenetics, helps explain this variability and identify aging biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Genomics
- Biomedical Research
Background:
- Aging is a complex and heterogeneous process.
- Variability in aging rates across organ systems and individuals complicates clinical care and research.
- Chronological age does not fully capture the nuances of aging-related decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the heterogeneity of organ and whole-body aging.
- To explore genomic mechanisms underlying aging heterogeneity.
- To discuss the importance of metrics for capturing aging variability.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on aging heterogeneity.
- Discussion of static genomics (nuclear genetic variants).
- Exploration of dynamic genetics (somatic mutations, epigenetic drifts, mitochondrial DNA changes).
Main Results:
- Genomic factors, both static and dynamic, are proposed mechanisms for variable aging rates.
- Static genomics includes nuclear genetic variants.
- Dynamic genetics encompasses somatic mutations, epigenetic drifts, and mitochondrial DNA alterations.
Conclusions:
- Understanding aging heterogeneity is crucial for identifying genomic biomarkers.
- Genomic insights can clarify mechanisms of adaptation versus decline in aging.
- Metrics capturing organ and body aging variability are essential for future research.
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