Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue?
Worldwide increase in life expectancy has boosted research on aging. Overcoming the concept of chronological age, higher attention has been addressed to biological age, which reflects a person’s real health state, and which may be the resulting combination of both intrinsic and environmental factors...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Colección: | Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1121231/full |
| _version_ | 1827986527466029056 |
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| author | Letizia Li Piani Paola Vigano' Edgardo Somigliana Edgardo Somigliana |
| author_facet | Letizia Li Piani Paola Vigano' Edgardo Somigliana Edgardo Somigliana |
| author_sort | Letizia Li Piani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Worldwide increase in life expectancy has boosted research on aging. Overcoming the concept of chronological age, higher attention has been addressed to biological age, which reflects a person’s real health state, and which may be the resulting combination of both intrinsic and environmental factors. As epigenetics may exert a pivotal role in the biological aging, epigenetic clocks were developed. They are based on mathematical models aimed at identifying DNA methylation patterns that can define the biological age and that can be adopted for different clinical scopes (i.e., estimation of the risks of developing age-related disorders or predicting lifespan). Recently, epigenetic clocks have gained a peculiar attention in the fertility research field, in particular in the female counterpart. The insight into the possible relations between epigenetic aging and women’s infertility might glean additional information about certain conditions that are still not completely understood. Moreover, they could disclose significant implications for health promotion programs in infertile women. Of relevance here is that the impact of biological age and epigenetics may not be limited to fertility status but could translate into pregnancy issues. Indeed, epigenetic alterations of the mother may transfer into the offspring, and pregnancy itself as well as related complications could contribute to epigenetic modifications in both the mother and newborn. However, even if the growing interest has culminated in the conspicuous production of studies on these topics, a global overview and the availability of validated instruments for diagnosis is still missing. The present narrative review aims to explore the possible bonds between epigenetic aging and fertility timeline. In the “infertility” section, we will discuss the advances on epigenetic clocks focusing on the different tissues examined (endometrium, peripheral blood, ovaries). In the “pregnancy” section, we will discuss the results obtained from placenta, umbilical cord and peripheral blood. The possible role of epigenetic aging on infertility mechanisms and pregnancy outcomes represents a question that may configure epigenetic clock as a bond between two apparently opposite worlds: infertility and pregnancy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:31:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4fe0de3639ba4e4fb2bc8bfa38df29a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-634X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:31:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4fe0de3639ba4e4fb2bc8bfa38df29a02023-03-21T04:22:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology2296-634X2023-03-011110.3389/fcell.2023.11212311121231Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue?Letizia Li Piani0Paola Vigano'1Edgardo Somigliana2Edgardo Somigliana3Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, ItalyInfertility Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, ItalyInfertility Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, ItalyWorldwide increase in life expectancy has boosted research on aging. Overcoming the concept of chronological age, higher attention has been addressed to biological age, which reflects a person’s real health state, and which may be the resulting combination of both intrinsic and environmental factors. As epigenetics may exert a pivotal role in the biological aging, epigenetic clocks were developed. They are based on mathematical models aimed at identifying DNA methylation patterns that can define the biological age and that can be adopted for different clinical scopes (i.e., estimation of the risks of developing age-related disorders or predicting lifespan). Recently, epigenetic clocks have gained a peculiar attention in the fertility research field, in particular in the female counterpart. The insight into the possible relations between epigenetic aging and women’s infertility might glean additional information about certain conditions that are still not completely understood. Moreover, they could disclose significant implications for health promotion programs in infertile women. Of relevance here is that the impact of biological age and epigenetics may not be limited to fertility status but could translate into pregnancy issues. Indeed, epigenetic alterations of the mother may transfer into the offspring, and pregnancy itself as well as related complications could contribute to epigenetic modifications in both the mother and newborn. However, even if the growing interest has culminated in the conspicuous production of studies on these topics, a global overview and the availability of validated instruments for diagnosis is still missing. The present narrative review aims to explore the possible bonds between epigenetic aging and fertility timeline. In the “infertility” section, we will discuss the advances on epigenetic clocks focusing on the different tissues examined (endometrium, peripheral blood, ovaries). In the “pregnancy” section, we will discuss the results obtained from placenta, umbilical cord and peripheral blood. The possible role of epigenetic aging on infertility mechanisms and pregnancy outcomes represents a question that may configure epigenetic clock as a bond between two apparently opposite worlds: infertility and pregnancy.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1121231/fullepigeneticaginginfertilitypregnancyepigenetic clocknewborn |
| spellingShingle | Letizia Li Piani Paola Vigano' Edgardo Somigliana Edgardo Somigliana Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue? Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology epigenetic aging infertility pregnancy epigenetic clock newborn |
| title | Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue? |
| title_full | Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue? |
| title_fullStr | Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue? |
| title_short | Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue? |
| title_sort | epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline a new approach to an old issue |
| topic | epigenetic aging infertility pregnancy epigenetic clock newborn |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1121231/full |
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