Age and diabetes link to different DNA marks in human islets
Researchers linked 996 DNA sites to age and 902 to type 2 diabetes, with little overlap, in pancreatic cell clusters from 144 donors.
Limit: DNA marks could result from changes in islet function rather than cause them
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
An observational study examined pancreatic islets, clusters of hormone-producing cells, from 144 brain-dead human organ donors aged 22 to 96. The donors included 60 women and 84 men. Researchers combined measurements of DNA methylation, chemical marks on DNA, with gene activity and genetic data.
They found 996 DNA sites linked to age and 902 linked to type 2 diabetes, with little overlap. The diabetes analysis included 120 donors, 21 with diabetes. Age-linked marks were associated with coordinated patterns of gene activity, including genes linked to insulin secretion. Diabetes-linked patterns were more varied and suggested stress-related changes. The links between DNA marks and gene activity were independent of genetic variation.
Why it matters
Age is the strongest risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The work addresses whether aging and diabetes involve the same molecular changes in the cells that release insulin.
Caveats
The observational comparisons cannot establish whether the DNA marks caused changes in islet function or resulted from them. The findings concern isolated islets from organ donors, not changes tracked as people aged.
- DNA methylation
- Epigenetic regulation of gene expression
- Type 2 diabetes
- INS
- Blood-based methylation risk score
- Humans
The paper
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Nature Communications, Jun 3, 2026, Open access
