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An increase in the probability of death has been a defining feature of aging, yet human perinatal mortality starts high and decreases with age. Previous evolutionary models suggested that organismal aging begins after the onset of reproduction. However, we find that mortality and incidence of diseases associated with aging follow a U-shaped curve with the minimum before puberty, whereas quantitative biomarkers of aging, including somatic mutations and DNA methylation, do not, revealing that aging starts early but is masked by early-life mortality. Moreover, our genetic analyses point to the contribution of damaging mutations to early mortality. We propose that mortality patterns are governed, in part, by negative selection against damaging mutations in early life, manifesting after the corresponding genes are first expressed. Deconvolution of mortality patterns suggests that deleterious changes rather than mortality are the defining characteristic of aging and that aging begins in very early life.

In short, the aging process might start earlier than we thought.
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retriev ... 471931589X

And the methylation clock starts ticking when we were embryos

In theory, if you cleared off 100% of epigenetic information would you you turn into a big embryo?

rhett wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 11:30 am In theory, if you cleared off 100% of epigenetic information would you you turn into a big embryo?

Zero epigenetic markers would make it an undifferentiated cell, also known as a stem cell. If aging is the "accumulation of methylation", then some aging is necessary in order for an egg to become differentiated into all component parts of the body. Too much methylation because of time, smoking, sun, x-rays, etc becomes the problem and is one fundamental cause of age.

According to Sinclair, there is an early snapshot of the young epigenome somewhere in the epigenome itself in every cell in our body, similar to a backup copy of a hard drive we make when we first buy a computer. In his experiments, this young epigenome is the focal point for communication with Yamanaka genes used to guide the reversal of accumulated methylation back to an earlier point in time. This has already been achieved by Sinclair in the optic nerves of mice and is one reason for growing optimism that age reversal will be accomplished sooner than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Interesting article here:-

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/clic ... LBN-jTTAG4$ 

where a gene has been found that significantly reduces the amount of protein miss-folding (which is what causes things to go wrong as we get older) and how insertion of that gene into the usual yeast and worms etc resulted in longer (up to 20%) and healthier lives.
 

RobSmith wrote: ↑Wed Sep 15, 2021 7:07 am Interesting article here:-

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/clic ... LBN-jTTAG4$ 

where a gene has been found that significantly reduces the amount of protein miss-folding (which is what causes things to go wrong as we get older) and how insertion of that gene into the usual yeast and worms etc resulted in longer (up to 20%) and healthier lives.
 

 

20 years ago i signed up for a screen saver program where a biological group could share some of my PCs resources (this is pre-cloud) to process possible protein folds. I had no idea what i was looking at, but was happy to be a part of it.

The other one I could have signed up with was SETI... i wasn't as interested.

I would expect that again begins once we encounter our first infection or have any serious injury, since that is when we begin to accumulate inflammation particles (inflammatory biomarkers).

But I expect that our bodies are primed to deal with these factors right into our teens.

We also begin to collect mutations due to radiation practically right away.

Also it occurs to me that we are geting exposed to lots of viral, bacterial and fungal junk simply by virtue of the fact that it is all around us, espacially due to other people being around. I imagine school is a nice source for this.

AlbertY wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:24 am And the methylation clock starts ticking when we were embryos

 

To some degree... but i understand if you sever the arm of an embro while in the womb, it grows back. So there are serious antiaging mechanisms at play also.

To add to this thought, and for me this is just a thought experiment really... the minute we start accumulating pathogens of any kind into our bodies, we begin collecting the material that cumulatively lead to aging.

I wonder, for example about cow's milk. It is the breast milk of another species. Humans are not all that acclimated to it yet, and maybe it isn;t a good idea as it likely leads to mild inflammation due to varying degrees of an allergic response. 

The may happen before birth, but if not, not too long after.