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Saliva contains the genetic secrets of a person's age, according to researchers.
Analyzing a saliva sample can determine an individual's age to within five years.
Lead researcher Eric Vilain, from the University of California, Los Angeles, said: "Our approach supplies one answer to the enduring quest for reliable markers of ageing. With just a saliva sample, we can accuratelypredict a person's age without knowing anything else about them."
The technique depends on a natural process called methylation, the patterns of which shift with age.
The scientists identified 88 DNA sites which strongly correlated methylation to age.
The US discovery could help crime scene investigations and the development of personalized medicine.
The research is published in the online journal Public Library of Science.


据英国《每日邮报》23日报道:研究称,唾液中含有揭示人类年龄奥秘的基因。
分析唾液样本可以推断出一个人的年龄,且误差在五岁以内。

负责该研究的加州大学洛杉矶分校的埃里克•维莱恩说:"长期以来,科学家一直在寻找一种可靠的年龄标志,我们为此提供了一个答案。只要一点唾液样本,我们就能准确推定出一个人的年龄,而无需任何其他信息。"

该研究技术依据一种被称为"甲基化作用"的天然过程,遗传物质脱氧核糖核酸中的甲基化水平会随着年龄的增长发生变化。
研究人员在(人体)脱氧核糖核酸中确认了88个节段,这些节段的甲基化水平与年龄之间的关系尤其紧密。
该研究或许会对犯罪现场的调查取证,以及个性化医疗方案的开发提供一些帮助。
该研究成果刊登在美国《国家科学院学报》22日网络版上。