Epigenetic theory of aging
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The epigenetic theory of aging posits that aging is driven primarily by the loss of epigenetic information in cells over time. This loss causes cells to essentially “forget” their identity and proper function, leading to the progressive decline and dysfunction we observe in the aging process. Which implies that by restoring this lost epigenetic information could effectively reset aged cells back to a more youthful, properly functioning state.
The idea that aging has an epigenetic basis is supported by several key lines of evidence. First, the work of John Gurdon in the 1960s demonstrated that the nucleus from an aged somatic cell, when transplanted into an enucleated egg cell, could give rise to a healthy young organism. This implied that the aging process must involve some form of reversible epigenetic changes, rather than being purely encoded in the genome sequence itself.
