Longevity & AgingPASTA Transcriptomic Clock Predicts How Genes and Compounds Affect Aging
Scientists have developed PASTA, a transcriptomic clock that uses RNA gene expression data — rather than DNA methylation — to measure biological aging. Unlike traditional epigenetic clocks, PASTA is designed to assess how specific compounds, drugs, or genetic interventions alter the pace of aging at the molecular level. This makes it a potentially powerful tool for screening longevity interventions in a more accessible and informative way than current methylation-based methods. Epigenetic clocks have long been the gold standard for measuring biological age, but they come with technical challenges and limitations in capturing gene activity changes. PASTA addresses these gaps by reading the transcriptome, offering researchers a new lens for evaluating anti-aging candidates and understanding the mechanisms behind age-related biological change.
