A new study published recently as the cover of Aging Volume 17, Issue 6, describes a new method to estimate how fast the brain is aging. By analyzing lipids, or fat molecules, in brain tissue, researchers from the National University of Singapore and Hanze University of Applied Sciences created a biological “clock” called DoliClock. This innovation highlights how conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, and Down syndrome are associated with accelerated brain aging.

Understanding Brain Aging

As people grow older, their brains naturally change. However, in many neurological disorders, these changes seem to appear earlier and progress more rapidly. Disorders like autism, schizophrenia, and Down syndrome reduce quality of life and contribute to premature death. Scientists have long searched for better ways to measure biological age in the brain to understand these processes and develop strategies to slow them down.

Most existing methods for estimating biological age rely on genetic markers, such as DNA methylation, which are chemical modifications of DNA. While useful, these approaches may not fully capture the complexity of aging, especially in the brain. Lipids, which are essential components of brain cells and play important roles in energy storage and signaling, offer another perspective.

Full blog - https://aging-us.org/2025/07/doliclock-a-lipid-based-clock-for-measuring-brain-aging/

Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206266

Corresponding author - Brian K. Kennedy - bkennedy@nus.edu.sg

Video short - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FEiyj9PjBE

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Keywords - aging, aging clock, down syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, dolichol

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DoliClock: A Lipid-Based Clock for Measuring Brain Aging

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DoliClock: A Lipid-Based Clock for Measuring Brain Aging

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