Proposed buccal PACE-like aging-rate score derived from cross-sectional methylome data
In an abstract, researchers describe a proposed framework that projects cross-sectional buccal methylome data along a biological-age pseudo-time axis to derive a PACE-like score; it was predicted reproducibly from buccal methylomes but only modestly associated with measured DunedinPACE. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The proposed framework uses a buccal biological age estimator as an internal pseudo-time axis and projects each person's buccal methylome forward by a small time step to derive a pseudo-aging velocity, reported for 151 individuals. [1]
In out-of-fold analysis, observed and predicted PACE-like scores correlated with a Pearson correlation of 0.706 and a Spearman correlation of 0.710. [1]
The proposed buccal PACE-like score showed only a modest association with measured DunedinPACE, and the authors say it should not replace blood-derived DunedinPACE. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of a methods-development study using cross-sectional buccal methylome data
- Population / context
- 151 individuals with buccal methylome data, as reported in the abstract
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- August 9, 2026
Buccal methylome pseudo-time framework in 151 people
The abstract describes a proposed framework for buccal mucosa, a minimally invasive tissue for which longitudinal methylation data are often unavailable. A buccal biological age estimator served as an internal pseudo-time axis. Methylation values were transformed, and CpG-specific smooth functions of biological age were fitted in cross-validation. Local derivatives of these functions projected each person's buccal methylome forward by a small time step; the methylome was converted back, biological age recalculated, and the change per unit time defined as a pseudo-aging velocity. This raw velocity was transformed into a non-negative PACE-like score centered at 1.0, and cross-fitted models were trained to predict it from buccal CpG methylation profiles. The abstract reports 151 individuals.
Supporting source [1]
Reproducible prediction, modest DunedinPACE association
In out-of-fold analysis, the proposed score was reproducibly predicted from buccal methylomes, with a Pearson correlation of 0.706 and a Spearman correlation of 0.710 between observed and predicted PACE-like scores. Sensitivity analyses across CpG selection size and regression models showed broadly consistent performance. By contrast, the proposed buccal PACE-like score showed only a modest association with measured DunedinPACE. Alternative attempts to reconstruct DunedinPACE from buccal methylomes, including supervised proxy modeling and buccal-to-blood CpG imputation, showed limited sample-level performance.
Supporting source [1]
Exploratory index, not a DunedinPACE replacement
The authors conclude that the results support the feasibility of deriving a tissue-specific PACE-like aging-rate score from cross-sectional buccal methylome data by treating biological age as a pseudo-time axis. They state that the proposed score should not be interpreted as a replacement for blood-derived DunedinPACE, but rather as an exploratory buccal methylome dynamics index that may capture tissue-specific aging-related variation. The abstract does not report longitudinal validation of the score or links to health outcomes.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The score is derived from cross-sectional data via a pseudo-time projection, not from longitudinal follow-up, and the abstract reports no health outcomes. The modest association with measured DunedinPACE and limited performance of alternative reconstructions are reported in the abstract.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Shoji T, Nakaki R. · europepmc.org · August 9, 2026