Episode Details

ReProgram Episode 9

In this episode of the Reprogram podcast, Dr. George Murphy interviews Dr. Nicholas Skivir, an expert in biological aging clocks. They discuss the differences between biological and chronological age, the complexities of measuring aging, and the construction and application of biological aging clocks. The conversation delves into factors influencing biological age, the role of disease in aging, and the potential future applications of biological aging clocks in clinical practice. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding biological age as a metric for health and longevity.

Keywords

biological aging, chronological age, aging clocks, epigenetic clocks, healthspan, longevity, regenerative medicine, aging research, biological metrics, disease modeling

Takeaways

• Biological age is a more physiological measure than chronological age.
• Aging clocks can predict health outcomes and morbidity.
• The construction of biological aging clocks involves various omics data.
• Epigenetic clocks are preferred due to their stability and reproducibility.
• Biological age can be influenced by lifestyle factors like diet and exercise.
• Disease can act as a driver of biological age in models.
• Future clinical practice may incorporate biological aging metrics.
• Understanding biological age can inform personalized medicine.
• The field of aging research is rapidly evolving with new models.
• Interpretability of biological aging clocks remains a challenge.

Office Artifact

On the desk:

Bow and Quiver with Arrows; The sap of the Antiaris toxicaria tree is used to make arrow poison, historically used for hunting and warfare, Indonesia 2017

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Biological Aging Clocks

03:21 Understanding Biological vs. Chronological Age

05:33 The Complexity of Measuring Aging

06:35 Construction of Biological Aging Clocks

10:51 Factors Influencing Biological Age

14:57 Cellular Rejuvenation via Reprogramming

16:47 Disease as a Driver of Biological Age

17:51 What Clocks Do Well...and Don't Do Well

20:02 The Future of Biological Aging in Medicine

22:21 Practical Applications of Biological Aging Clocks

Resources

Steve Horvath's Epigenetic Clock - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Horvath

DNA methylation arrays - https://www.illumina.com/