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Brain Atlas Maps Epigenetic Changes Associated with Aging in Mice

Scientists at the Salk Institute released the most comprehensive single‑cell atlas of epigenetic aging in the mouse brain, profiling over 200,000 cells across eight regions and 36 cell types with methylation, chromatin conformation, and spatial transcriptomics. The map uncovers cell‑type and region‑specific changes, including pronounced methylation loss in non‑neuronal cells, activation of transposable elements, and increased strength of topologically associating domain boundaries as novel aging biomarkers. The dataset, publicly hosted on AWS and GEO, is already being used to train deep‑learning models that predict age‑related gene expression shifts. Researchers anticipate the atlas will accelerate discovery of mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.