Abstract

During aging, cells inadvertently acquire new mutations in the DNA of the genome that adversely impact function and can limit health. When taken collectively, these mutations produce ‘mosaicism’, because they contribute to differences in the cellular genome within a person. While mosaicism can lead to cancer, contributions to aging and neurological health remain underexplored. Our Hillblom Foundation Network leverages cutting-edge technologies to interrogate age-related brain mosaicism. We are assessing multi-omics profiles across a broad range of human brain cells in both healthy and age-related neurodegeneration, and correlating the effects of mosaicism on genotoxic stress, transcription and cellular clonality.