WATCH – Customer success story | The Epigenetic Clock Development Foundation
Background
Over the course of a human’s life, their DNA is exposed to a plethora of epigenetic modulators. These modulators – which typically induce oxidative stress – methylate the DNA, adding chemical subgroups that either upregulate or downregulate specific genes. Because methylation broadly happens at a constant rate, it can be used to determine an individual’s biological age. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit Epigenetic Clock Development Foundation has developed a test that does precisely that, enabling early disease detection, more precise patient stratification, and faster evaluation of therapeutic impact.
VUGENE’s solution
The tests run by Epigenetic Clock Development Foundation turn raw methylation data into biological age results. Typically, this requires manual analysis; however, VUGENE has succeeded in automating the process. “We have completed over 500 different projects and collaborations with researchers, fully supported by the VUGENE team,” said Robert Brooke, Executive Director at Epigenetic Clock Development Foundation. “We have also built a platform that has enabled us to test for thousands of individual studies.”
The collaborations have led to the discovery that oxytocin exposure during birth increases the epigenetic age of male prairie voles, that epigenetic clocks can track recovery in professional athletes, and many more. But beyond automating processes, VUGENE has identified patterns in these datasets, leading to the development of novel epigenetic age predictors. These predictors may be useful either for preventing accelerated biological aging or for the discovery of de-aging drugs for longevity indications.
“VUGENE has been a very reliable data science partner for us. They are a strong team, and they are highly efficient in the way they work,” said Brooke. “You really have to find a team that is familiar with, and at the forefront of, research in the field, because ultimately, we want to enable publication-ready analysis. The VUGENE team delivers in exactly that way. I highly recommend them to any other organization.”
Cover photo credits: sripfoto / Adobe Stock
