A team of scientists from the University of Science and Technology of Macau and Shanghai Jiao Tong University has developed a new method for determining biological age. The researchers hope that this discovery will ultimately help slow down the aging process. aging person.
The innovative method involves analyzing 3D images of certain body parts using artificial intelligence. Specifically, the face, tongue, and retina (the layer of cells at the back of the eye that converts light into signals for the brain).
Let us remind you thatchronologicalage– this is kquantityof livedyears. Tas long asbiological age indicates how worn out one isthey arecellshumanof the body. Many of usbiologicalandchronologicalagedo not match.
Most oftenscientistsevaluatebiologicalageforwith the help of «epigeneticclock» – biomarkersaging, calculated based on data aboutmethylationDNA.And before thatbiologicalagedeterminedmostlyfromawith the helpanalysesblood andDNA,and alsoscanningbrain.
What does the new method involve?
Thus, to provide accessible and accurate predictions of biological age, the team developed a tool. AI that analyzes images of the face, tongue, and retina. Photographs of the face can indicate the health of your skin, images of the tongue can reflect the health of the microbiome, while a snapshot of the retina signals the condition of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Initially, the researchers tested their model on 11,223 healthy volunteers. Then, they tested it on 2,840 individuals suffering from chronic diseases. The model showed that the biological age of people in the second group was significantly higher than their chronological age compared to the healthy participants.
As researchers noted in an article published by the journal PNAS, their method is cheaper, simpler, and less invasive than DNA, blood, or brain scans.
In the team’s opinion, this tool could become useful in the future for assessing the impact of chronic diseases on aging and vice versa.
According to leading British longevity expert Andrew Steele, the next big question is how these biological age indicators relate to anti-aging interventions (diets, exercise, or new anti-aging pills).
And here is more. one good news
The researchers who conducted the study confirmed to the BBC. Science Focus The AI tool for determining biological age will soon be available for smartphone users. The team plans to release an affordable version of the app for easy mobile access, said Dr. Kan Zhang, the lead author of the study.
“We hope that this accessible artificial intelligence tool can be widely used as a non-invasive and cost-effective evaluator of the impact of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions on slowing down aging,” added Dr. Zhang.