⚡ Quick Summary
This review article explores the advancements in omics technologies for measuring biological age, highlighting how genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics contribute to our understanding of ageing. The integration of these technologies with machine learning is paving the way for personalized strategies in healthy ageing.
🔍 Key Details
- 🔬 Omics Technologies: Genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, microbiomics
- 📊 Applications: Biomarker discovery, mechanistic insights, translational opportunities
- 🧬 Key Findings: Genetic variants linked to longevity, epigenetic clocks as biological age predictors
- ⚙️ Integration: Multi-omics with clinical and lifestyle data
- 🤖 Technology: Machine learning and artificial intelligence
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 🔍 Biological ageing is a complex, multifactorial process influenced by molecular changes.
- 🧬 Genomic studies have identified genetic variants associated with extreme longevity.
- ⏳ Epigenetic clocks provide reliable predictors of biological age.
- 💉 Blood proteome analysis allows for organ- and sex-specific ageing trajectory evaluations.
- 🧪 Metabolomic signatures reveal key metabolites that reflect ageing processes.
- 🌱 Microbiome research shows that gut microbial composition can influence biological ageing.
- 🏋️♂️ Lifestyle factors such as exercise and diet can reduce biological age.
- 🔗 Multi-omics integration is essential for a holistic understanding of biological age.
- 🌟 Personalized healthy ageing strategies are becoming more feasible through these advancements.

📚 Background
Understanding biological ageing is crucial for developing effective interventions to promote healthy longevity. Traditional methods of measuring age often fail to capture the underlying biological processes that contribute to ageing. Recent advancements in omics technologies have opened new avenues for research, allowing scientists to analyze vast amounts of biological data and uncover the intricate mechanisms of ageing.
🗒️ Study
The review synthesizes recent findings from various omics studies, focusing on how these technologies have been applied to ageing research. By examining the roles of genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics, the authors highlight significant contributions to biomarker discovery and the understanding of biological ageing mechanisms.
📈 Results
The findings indicate that genomic studies have identified specific genetic variants that promote longevity, while epigenetic clocks serve as robust predictors of biological age. Additionally, the analysis of the blood proteome has revealed organ- and sex-specific ageing trajectories, and metabolomic studies have identified key metabolites that reflect these trajectories. Furthermore, research into the microbiome has shown that gut microbial composition can both mirror and modulate biological ageing.
🌍 Impact and Implications
The implications of these findings are profound. By integrating multi-omics data with clinical and lifestyle information, researchers are moving towards a more comprehensive definition of biological age. This approach not only enhances our understanding of the ageing process but also facilitates the development of personalized strategies for healthy ageing, potentially transforming how we approach longevity and wellness in the future.
🔮 Conclusion
This review underscores the transformative potential of omics technologies in ageing research. By leveraging these advancements, we can gain deeper insights into biological ageing and develop tailored interventions that promote healthier, longer lives. The future of ageing research is bright, and continued exploration in this field is essential for unlocking the secrets of longevity.
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Measuring biological age: Insights from omics studies.
Abstract
Biological ageing is a systemic, multifactorial process driven by progressive molecular and cellular alterations whose complexity necessitates systems-level approaches. Advances in high-throughput omics technologies now allow simultaneous quantification of millions of biomolecules from a single specimen, enabling longitudinal, integrative profiling across multiple molecular layers. This review synthesizes recent progress in applying genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics and microbiomics to ageing research, highlighting their contributions to biomarker discovery, mechanistic insight, and translational opportunities. Genomic studies reveal genetic variants that promote extreme longevity, while epigenetic clocks provide robust predictors of biological age. The blood proteome can be used to calculate proteome-based scores and evaluate temporal changes in ageing trajectories in an organ- and sex-specific manner. Metabolomic signatures identify key metabolites reflecting ageing trajectories, and microbiome research demonstrates that gut microbial composition mirrors and modulates biological ageing, with microbiome clocks emerging. The omics approaches have further elucidated the impact of exercise and diet providing evidence that interventions can reduce biological age. The integration of multi-omics with clinical and lifestyle data, powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, is paving the way for a holistic definition of biological age and the development of personalized healthy ageing strategies. This review highlights how the omics technologies and computational modelling are transforming ageing biology into strategies for personalized healthy ageing.
Author: [‘Kočar E’, ‘Šket R’, ‘Vasle AH’, ‘Avguštin G’, ‘Benedik E’, ‘Seljak BK’, ‘Simić P’, ‘Martinko A’, ‘Morrison SA’, ‘Sorić M’, ‘Skrt M’, ‘Polak T’, ‘Tesovnik T’, ‘Bizjan BJ’, ‘Kovač J’, ‘Battelino T’, ‘Rozman D’, ‘Ulrih NP’, ‘Matijašić BB’, ‘Jurak G’, ‘Moškon M’, ‘Režen T’]
Journal: Ageing Res Rev
Citation: Kočar E, et al. Measuring biological age: Insights from omics studies. Measuring biological age: Insights from omics studies. 2025; 114:102988. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2025.102988