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Euro Biotechnology 2018 & Genomics Congress 2018 & Cancer Congress 2018 Journal of RNA and Genomics | ISSN: 2591-7781 | Volume 14
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BIOTECHNOLOGY
Euro Congress on
GENOMICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
International Conference on
CANCER SCIENCE AND THERAPY
Global Congress on
Joint Event on
OF EXCELLENCE
IN INTERNATIONAL
MEETINGS
YEARS
Gil Atzmon, J RNA Genomics 2018, Volume 14
DETECTION OF EPIGENOMIC VARIATION
ASSOCIATED WITH LONGEVITY AMONG
MULTI ETHNIC CENTENARIAN POPULATION
IN ISRAEL
Genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors play a crucial role in de-
termining life span. Epigenetics has emerged as an important factor in
the control of gene expression and therefore effect disease risk. Specifical-
ly, methylation changes at specific gene regions have been associated with
cancer risk and autoimmune disorders. Studies have shown that age related
epigenetic changes could serve as a marker for chronological age. We hy-
pothesize that i) aging is associated with epigenetic changes in humans, and
ii) centenarians have distinct pattern of methylation that protects them from
age-related diseases, and therefore affects healthy lifespan. We propose that
epigenetic changes are one of the central mechanisms by which aging pre-
disposes to many age-related diseases, and therefore influence disease risk
and lifespan. We test this hypothesis using a unique population of individuals
with prolonged life span (i.e. centenarian) who represent a very small segment
of human population. We systematically assess the contribution of genomic
methylation changes in three major sub-groups, of centenarians:
1. Survivors: Those who survive after onset of major age associated
disease like diabetes, CVD or metabolic syndrome at an age compa-
rable to general population, i.e at the age of 60+/-5 years (thus long
life span but short healthy lifespan),
2. Delayers: Develop age related diseases mentioned above much later
that control population i.e at the age of 80+/-5 years (therefore have
a longer healthy life span)
3. Dodgers: Fail to develop age-related illnesses naturally at the age of
100+/-5 years. We hypothesize that subjects within the three groups
will exhibit differential methylation at sites distinct from each other
as well as appropriate age matched controls (healthy cohort subjects
available for 60+/-5 and 80+/-5 yr old). Furthermore, we found that
the survivors and delayers exhibit different gene expression pattern
as they approach their chronic life time condition. We test our hypoth-
esis, by employing novel high-throughput technology (genome-wide
methylation assay- Infinium MethylationEPIC) to probe into the epig-
enomic methylation hallmark for healthy life span in a unique popula-
tion (i.e. Israeli multi ethnic centenarian study cohort) of subjects be-
tween ages 55-110. In addition, we did a combination of large-scale
epigenomic studies to identify the most distinctive epigenetic loci
(i.e. those with the greatest differential methylation). We then per-
form Multi-locus validation for methylation status using MassARRAY
(Sequenome). We incorporated validation of candidate epi-loci in ex-
tended original population, to define the role of epigenetics on specif-
ic mechanisms related to age related diseases and healthy lifespan
(such as mitochondrial mutations, oxidative stress).
Biography
Gil Atzmon is Professor of Human Biology at Haifa
University in Israel, where he runs the Laboratory of
Genetics and Epigenetics of Aging and Longevity,
and at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New
York. The foremost focus of Prof Gil Atzmon’s en-
tire research career has been the understanding of
the association of the whole genome to disease,
performance, health and longevity. Since 2001, he
has focused on human genome and its impact on
aging and longevity.
Gil Atzmon
University of Haifa, Israel