New AI-powered tests tell consumers their biological age by determining the speed at which organs, cells and tissues decline.
Startups are launching at-home tests that collect blood, urine or cheek swabs to analyze changes in the ‘epigenome,’ the machinery that helps read the DNA code.
Tally Health, one of these companies, recently presented 13 years of research showing that epigenetic changes can be safely reversed in mice to improve the function of tissues, akin to reinstalling cellular software.
And the firm believes the same can be done with humans.
Elysium also has a biological age test that provides ‘science-backed recommendations’ to help consumers improve bodily functions, hoping to turn back time.
Tally Health launched its technology on February 23, touting it to improve healthspan and extend longevity at the cellular level.
Consumer interest in the longevity space has exploded, with the global longevity economy projected to reach $27 trillion in 2026 and the AgeTech segment reaching $2.7 trillion by 2025.
And while the idea of ‘turning back the hands of time’ sounds like science fiction, the concept is a real-world service that can be purchased for as little as $299 a month.
The current biological tests harness the power of the epigenetic clock, which is a predictive test based on data from 8,000 biological samples of 51 healthy human tissues and cell types.
It was developed by Steven Horvath, a geneticist and biostatistician at UCLA, in 2013 and measures DNA methylation patterns associated with aging and disease and uses an algorithm to guess a person’s age, WIRED reports.
Tally Health launched its technology on February 23, touting it to improve healthspan and extend longevity at the cellular level.
Dr David Sinclair, a Harvard University biologist and co-founder, said in a statement: ‘DNA is no longer the sole predictor of our destiny or longevity.
‘Our genetics determines less than 10 percent of our longevity; more than 90 percent is a result of our daily lifestyle choices and environment, and much of the research and interventions in the near future will be focused on extending the human health span.’
‘The interest in aging has sparked massive research insights in the field globally and propelled the science of aging to a new level.’
After a user’s sample is analyzed, they receive personalized insights and recommendations to help extend longevity and unique supplements to help along the way
Tally Health requires a simple cheek swab analyzed by the TallyAge clock, which was trained on the largest DNA dataset for adult human buccal tissue, with over 8,000 samples.
After a user’s sample is analyzed, they receive personalized insights and recommendations to help extend longevity and unique supplements to help along the way.
Tally Head CEO Melanie Goldey said: ‘We built Tally to be the science-backed, health ally for anyone looking to improve their healthspan and increase longevity.’
The service is offered through a monthly subscription, allowing members to test frequently.
Elysium also has a biological age test that provides ‘science-backed recommendations’ to help consumers improve bodily functions, hoping to turn back time
Consumers can choose between three, six or 12 months and pay between $199 to $129 per month.
Elysium was also co-founded by a chief scientist, Dr Leonard Guarente, who began researching aging in 1982 and uses epigenetic clocks as the base for the company’s technology.
READ MORE: Scientists say they’ve cracked secret of aging
A major genetic analysis of people, rodents and fish found the length of their DNA was directly linked to their biological age.
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‘Epigenetic clocks have been a major advance for the aging field, as they enable the precise study of biological aging without requiring a protracted timeline,’ said Guarente, who is also an MIT professor
‘For consumers, Index was the first and most precise aging measure and remains the only product to render a simple, saliva-based biological age test.
The addition of nine systems extends this concept to measure aging in specific pathways, which provide even more useful information for making lifestyle changes to improve health.
‘Leveraging this novel technology through the Aging Research Center offers the exciting opportunity to greatly accelerate breakthroughs in the field of aging by collaborating directly with consumers who opt-in and have the greatest potential benefit to gain.’
Elysium’s test is called Index and requires a salvia sample from consumers, which is then fed to its machine learning algorithms that measure 10 different aspects of aging.
‘With the superior precision of our Algorithmic Platform for Epigenetic Examination (APEX), Elysium calculates your biological age and system ages by examining sites on your DNA where methylation has taken place,’ according to Elysium.
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that influences how genes are expressed and their genome-wide pattern changes predictably with age.
‘We employ the custom Elysium chip, developed with the help of biotechnology leader Illumina, to analyze your methylation patterns via a computational approach that significantly improves upon past biological clocks.’
