We all measure our age according to the calendar. But what really matters is biological age, which tells us about the aging of our cells. Scientists from the German Max Planck Institute have identified for the first time a group of proteins that allow us to know the true biological age of an individual . These are molecules that are released when the ends of chromosomes (telomeres) shorten, a phenomenon that has been shown to be linked to aging . These same proteins also appear when the DNA of the cells suffers some type of damage . By measuring the levels of these biomarkers in the blood, it is possible to find out how fast our body is aging. "Many older people have a biological capacity to regenerate superior to that of certain young people," says Lenhard Rudolph, head of the study.
Knowing this new data will allow, among other things, to design personalized medical therapies for each person. Biological age could even be taken into account when deciding when to retire , as it would make it possible to discriminate between individuals in good physical condition to continue working and those in need of retirement.
