Project description:Osteoporosis is an age-related metabolic bone disease. Hence, osteoporotic patients might suffer from molecular features of accelerated aging, which is generally reflected by specific age-associated DNA methylation (DNAm) changes. In this study, we analyzed genome wide DNAm profiles of peripheral blood from patients with manifest primary osteoporosis and non-osteoporotic controls. Statistical analysis did not reveal any individual CG dinucleotides (CpG sites) with significant aberrant DNAm in osteoporosis. Subsequently, we analyzed if age-associated DNAm patterns are increased in OP. Using three independent age-predictors we did not find any evidence for accelerated epigenetic age in blood of osteoporotic patients. Taken together, osteoporosis is not reflected by characteristic DNAm patterns of peripheral blood that might be used as biomarker for the disease. The prevalence of osteoporosis is age-associated – but it is not associated with premature epigenetic aging in peripheral blood.
Project description:We evaluated biological aging using five epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge and DunedinPoAm) calculated from DNA methylation measured in peripheral blood cells in a trans-diagnostic psychiatric sample including healthy controls. We found that burden of psychiatric disease, represented by a weighted score, was significantly associated with biological age acceleration as measured by GrimAge and DunedinPoAm. The faster pace of aging was even further accelerated in individuals exposed to physical abuse in childhood
Project description:The main goal of the study was to measure the epigenetic age (also known as DNA methylation age) of human bone tissue and to relate it to chronological age. Toward this end, we used the epigenetic clock software described in Horvath S (2013) DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. Genome Biology.2013, 14:R115. DOI: 10.1186/10.1186/gb-2013-14-10-r115 PMID: 24138928 Human DNA methylation Beadchip v1.2 was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 486,000 CpGs. The trabecular bone pieces were obtained from the central part of the femoral head of Spanish (Caucasian) patients with hip fractures (due to osteoporosis) or subjects with osteoarthritis. About 85% of the cell population in this bone tissue are osteocytes and the remainder are osteoblasts, bone marrow, etc.
Project description:To determine if disease can modify aging patterns in an affected tissue without altering the aging patterns of other tissues, blood and semen of individuals with oligozoospermia (n=10) were compared to the blood and semen of individuals with normozoospermia (n=24). The Horvath and Jenkins age calculators were utilized to predict the epigenetic age of blood and sperm through the use of DNA methylation. Using these calculators, it was found that sperm of oligozoospermic men were predicted to be significantly older than the sperm of normozoospermic men; however, there was not a significant epigenetic age difference in blood. These results lead to the conclusion that tissue specific aging is occurring in sperm of oligozoospermic individuals but not in unaffected somatic tissues (in our case, blood).
Project description:Human DNA methylation Beadchip v1.2 was used to profile 508 whole blood samples. The main goal of the study was to relate Parkinson's disease status to measures of epigenetic age acceleration based on DNA methylation data. Here we focus on Caucasian subjects. To measure DNA methylation age, we used the epigenetic clock software described in Horvath S (n=2013) DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. Genome Biology.2013, 14:R115. DOI: 10.1186/10.1186/gb-2013-14-10-r115 PMID: 24138928.
Project description:Cannabis use has been controversial, largely having been designated a controlled substance over the last century. The link between cannabis smoking and disease pathogenesis may best be explored through DNA methylation, an epigentic mechanism. We investigated the relationship between epigenetic age and cannabis smoking in participants within the Canadian Cohort of Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD) cohort (n=93) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00920348). Blood samples were profiled for DNA methylation using the Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChipv1 at two separate laboratories and the blood epigenetic age of each sample was calculated using the Clock Foundation tool (https://dnamage.clockfoundation.org). An ANOVA was used to identify differences in the age acceleration residuals associated with cannabis smoking status (never, former, and current), adjusted for chronological age, sex, body mass index (BMI), batch, cigarette smoking status, and the first two principal components of blood cell proportions. Our observations indicated that current cannabis smoking and higher joint-years exposure are associated with epigenetic age acceleration; cessation, however, may help to normalize in part this age acceleration.
Project description:Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as integral regulators of physiology and disease, but specific roles of lncRNAs in bone disease remain largely unknown. Here, we show that lnc-ob1 regulates osteoblast activity and bone formation in mice by upregulating the osteogenic transcription factor Osterix. Expression of lnc-ob1 is enriched in osteoblasts and upregulated during osteoblastogenesis. We demonstrate that osteoblast-specific knock-in of lnc-ob1 enhances bone formation and increases bone mass. Pharmacological overexpression of lnc-ob1 specifically in osteoblasts confers resistance to ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in mice. In humans, expression of the homologue, lnc-OB1, decreases with age in osteoblasts of patients with osteoporosis. Mechanistically, lnc-ob1 upregulates the expression of Osterix in mouse and human osteoblasts, probably via inhibition of H3K27me3 methylation. Our data indicate that lnc-OB1 regulates bone formation and might be a drug target for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Project description:Human DNA methylation Beadchip v1.2 was used to profile n=84 whole blood samples from Hispanics living in the USA. The main goal of the study was to relate Parkinson's disease status to measures of epigenetic age acceleration based on DNA methylation data. Here we focus on Hispanic subjects. To measure DNA methylation age, we used the epigenetic clock software described in Horvath S (n=2013) DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. Genome Biology.2013, 14:R115. DOI: 10.1186/10.1186/gb-2013-14-10-r115 PMID: 24138928.
Project description:Osteoclasts are absorptive cells and play a critical role in homeostatic bone remodeling and pathological bone resorption. Emerging evidence suggests an important role for epigenetic regulation of osteoclastogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of DOT1L, which regulates gene expression epigenetically by histone H3K79 methylation during osteoclast formation. DOT1L and H3K79me2 levels were upregulated during osteoclast differentiation. Small molecule inhibitor- (EPZ5676 or EPZ004777) or short hairpin RNA-mediated reduction in DOT1L expression promoted osteoclast differentiation and resorption. DOT1L inhibition also increased osteoclast area and accelerated bone mass reduction in a mouse ovariectomy (OVX) model of osteoporosis. DOT1L inhibitors did not alter osteoblast differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Proteomics data, together with bioinformatics analysis, revealed that DOT1L inhibition altered reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, autophagy activation, and cell fusion-related protein expression. ROS generation increased, and autophagy activation and cell migration ability enhancement were verified subsequently by flow cytometry and transwell migration assays. DOT1L inhibition increased NFATc1 nuclear translocation and NF-κB activation and strengthend osteoclast fusion and expression of resorption-related protein CD9, and MMP9 in osteoclasts derived from RAW264.7. Our findings support a new mechanism of DOT1L-mediated H3K79me2 epigenetic regulation of osteoclast differentiation, implicating DOT1L as a new therapeutic target for osteoclast dysregulation-induced disease.
Project description:DNA methylation microarray analysis was performed on human donor whole blood samples from patients with and without AMD. A total of 30 patient samples including 16 Normal, 3 AREDS grade 2 (early AMD) and 11 AREDS grade 3 (intermediate AMD) (AMD total, n = 14) were selected. Samples were obtained from individuals phenotyped according to the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) classification. DNAm levels were measured using the EPIC-array (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Samples run on the EPIC-array were randomized and balanced for disease status and smoking status to minimise chip and row specific effects. The EPIC-array incorporated technical controls into the experimental design. In total, 500 ng (50 ng/μL) total peripheral whole blood-derived gDNA was bisulfite converted using the EZ-96 DNA methylation kit (Zymo Research, Irvine, CA, USA) and hybridised to the EPIC-array according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Quality control analysis was performed using GenomeStudio (v2011.1). Raw IDAT files were then read into R (version 3.31) using the read.metharray.exp function within the minfi package. DNA methylation microarray data was collected in order to assess the estimated DNA methylation age using the Horvath multi-tissue, Hannum and Skin & Blood epigenetic clocks and to identify loci of differential methylation between the experimental groups.