For the longest time, scientists haven’t had tools at their disposal to measure biological (as opposed to simple chronological) age. They finally found some doing research on worms and plan more studies as well. This is a big deal as “examining biomarkers over time would provide a scientific baseline for clinical trials of anti-aging medicines, which is currently impossible to determine given the lengthy lifetime of human beings.” The Buck Institute’s Simon Melov was the lead author of the study.
From their press release:
“Scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research have identified for the first time biomarkers of aging which are highly predictive of both chronological and physiological age. Biomarkers are biochemical features that can be used to measure the progress of disease or the effects of treatment. The research involves nematode worms, microarrays which measure changes in gene expression, and complex computer algorithms. This is the first step toward identifying similar biomarkers in humans which would provide a means of scientifically validating anti-aging therapies. The research is due to appear in the November 20, 2008 online edition of Aging Cell.”