Development of Quantifications of Biological Age in Rhesus Monkeys to Test Causal Effects of Early-Developmental Stress and Social Status on The Rate of Aging
Using data from the Wake Primate Research Center, this pilot study tests causal effects of social disadvantage on the rate of biological aging in Rhesus monkeys to determine whether social disadvantage causes acceleration in biological aging. Applying the new developed cynomolgus monkey Biological Age algorithm, the study examines how experimentally-induced social stress accelerates biological aging, focusing on how social disadvantage affects the rate of biological aging, and how these effects are modified by social supports.
The pilot provides critical data for a NIA-funded pilot project that investigates the causal effects of social adversity on molecular mechanisms of aging in monkeys and humans. It also generates crucial information for interventions and programs aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of social adversity on public health. If accelerated biological aging is a key mediator of social gradients in health, it opens two important opportunities: First, measurements of the rate of biological aging can be used to evaluate social and health policies that aim to address social gradients in health. Second, pharmacologic and behavioral “geroprotective” interventions could be deployed as a strategy to address social gradients in health.