Epigenetic Drift Is a Determinant of Mammalian Lifespan

A new DNA methylation clock may be slowed by caloric restriction, correlating with lifespan and healthspan extension.

• The epigenome is not maintained perfectly in somatic animal cells, leading to epigenetic drift, a hallmark of aging.
• DNA methylation clocks have been linked to increasing age and epigenetic drift.
• Caloric restriction appears to slow a specific DNA methylation clock, suggesting a relationship between epigenetic drift and lifespan.
• Genomic editing of DNA methylation homeostatic genes may demonstrate a causal role for DNA methylation in lifespan differences between species.
• Transient methods to erase DNA methylation patterns in somatic cells could potentially reset aging effects, but this remains to be validated.

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