SIRT6 reverses certain epigenetic markers of ageing

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have shown in mice that increasing the activity of SIRT6, a protein involved in chromatin regulation and associated with longevity, can restore certain molecular parameters altered with age. In aged mice, activation of SIRT6 in the liver brought aspects of chromatin organisation closer, within a few weeks, to patterns observed in younger animals.

The study also reports a reduction in certain inflammatory markers and changes in metabolic pathways. The findings therefore suggest that some age-related epigenetic alterations may be reversible, rather than merely slowed down. However, the results remain preclinical and limited to a murine liver model: at this stage, they cannot be extrapolated to human skin or to a cosmetic anti-ageing effect.