Mitochondrial DNA changes to estimate biological age
Mitochondrial DNA Deletion Mutation Frequency as a Metric of Biologic Age
This project looks at whether tiny deletions in mitochondrial DNA from blood and tissue samples can indicate a person's biological age and show if anti-aging treatments are working.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11254908 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers would ask for blood or small tissue samples to run a very sensitive lab test (digital PCR) that counts mitochondrial DNA deletions. The team is validating this test to meet FDA bioanalytical standards and will compare deletion counts with health measures, tissue damage, and survival data. They will examine samples from people and animals, track how deletion frequency rises with age, and see if it changes after interventions like caloric restriction. If consistent, the test could become a way to monitor whether treatments are slowing cellular aging.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults willing to provide blood or tissue samples, especially older adults or people participating in interventions aimed at improving healthspan, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who cannot or will not give samples, children, or those with primary mitochondrial diseases that already alter mtDNA may not get useful information from this test.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a lab test that tells patients their biological age and whether anti-aging treatments are having an effect.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows mitochondrial DNA damage accumulates with age, but this specific high-sensitivity deletion-counting assay is novel and is still being validated in humans.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wanagat, Jonathan — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Wanagat, Jonathan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.