Feasibility of DNA Methylation Age as a Biomarker of Symptoms and Resilience among Cancer Survivors with Multiple Chronic Conditions

Nada Lukkahatai; Jongmin Park; Hejingzi Monica Jia; Daniel Martin; Junxin Li; Jennifer Yeong-Shin Sheng; Jessica Gill; Leorey N Saligan; Vered Stearns; Michael Carducci

doi:10.3390/biomedicines11113076

Feasibility of DNA Methylation Age as a Biomarker of Symptoms and Resilience among Cancer Survivors with Multiple Chronic Conditions

Biomedicines. 2023 Nov 16;11(11):3076. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11113076.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
² College of Nursing, Research Institute of Nursing Science, Pusan National University, Yangsan-si 50612, Republic of Korea.
³ Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
⁴ Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
⁵ National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
⁶ School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Abstract

This study aims to examine the feasibility of DNA methylation age as a biomarker for symptoms and resilience in cancer survivors with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). We included ten participants from our parent study, an ongoing randomized control trial study. Participants' symptoms and resilience were assessed, and peripheral blood was collected. DNA methylation age calculation was performed using DNAge^® analysis. Data were analyzed using Spearman's correlation analysis and the Mann-Whitney U test. Participants in the intervention group tended to have a decrease in DNA methylation age and age acceleration after completing an exercise program (mean difference = -0.83 ± 1.26). The change in DNA methylation age was significantly correlated with the change in resilience score (r = -0.897, p = 0.015). The preliminary results suggest that DNA methylation age can be a potential biomarker for improving resilience in cancer survivors with multiple chronic conditions. This finding is limited by the small sample size, and a larger study is needed.

Keywords: DNA methylation age; biomarkers; cancer survivor; resilience; symptom.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Small Grants and Oncology Nursing Foundation Major Grant (R41). The APC was funded by the Oncology Nursing Foundation Major Grant (R41).