Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
09:10
Measuring Single-Cell Aging with an Imaging-based Biomarker of Chromatin and Epigenetic Aging
Published on: January 30, 2026
409
Blood-based epigenetic instability linked to human aging and disease.
Salman Basrai1,2, Ido Nofech-Mozes1,2, Rajesh Detroja3
1Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Nature Communications
|February 14, 2026
Summary
DNA methylation patterns in blood are surprisingly stable in youth but become variable with age. This DNA methylation instability serves as a blood biomarker for hematological cancers and cardiovascular disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Genomics
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- DNA methylation patterns are complex and vary between cell types, complicating the identification of early disease markers.
- Identifying consistent epigenetic changes is crucial for early disease detection and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify stable DNA methylation loci in healthy individuals.
- To assess the utility of these stable loci as biomarkers for hematological cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Main Methods:
- Identified 31,744 highly consistent CpG loci in young, healthy individuals.
- Analyzed methylation alterations at these loci in 8,886 individuals across 29 cohorts, including cancer and cardiovascular disease patients.
- Correlated methylation changes with disease status, clonal burden, mutation frequency, age, and survival rates.
Main Results:
- Disrupted DNA methylation patterns were observed in myeloid and lymphoid malignancies, correlating with disease progression.
- In non-cancer cohorts, increased methylation variability at stable loci was linked to aging, higher cardiovascular disease risk, and reduced survival.
- DNA methylation instability in blood emerged as a significant biomarker for both hematological cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetically stable DNA methylation loci in blood can serve as reliable biomarkers for hematological cancers and cardiovascular disease.
- DNA methylation instability is associated with aging, disease risk, and survival outcomes.
- A mechanistic link between DNA methylation dynamics and the development of maladaptive hematopoietic clones was uncovered.
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