Scientists from UNN and the Atlas clinic network start developing a biological age calculator
Lobachevsky University has started work on developing a biological age calculator for the population of Russia. To develop this tool, data from the university's new industry partner, the Atlas Clinic Network, which has been developing preventive and longevity medicine in Russia since 2014, is being used. Initially, the new calculator will be introduced at the clinics of the Atlas network.
The national biological age calculator will be designed to take into account more than 100 types of blood markers and more than 100 types of body structure indicators of several thousand Russians. In total, artificial intelligence algorithms developed by UNN scientists will be used to analyze more than 150 thousand anonymised markers. In the future, this methodology will help doctors and patients not only to assess general health, but also to track the dynamics of changes after various medical interventions.
“Lobachevsky University is one of the flagships of artificial intelligence technology development in Russia. AI is applied in a comprehensive manner in various areas of the University's activities. Our scientists develop predictive software, work in the field of information security, conduct research in the field of neuromorphic computing and quantum technologies. A large amount of work is carried out in our Artificial Intelligence Centre, which is focused on solving various problems primarily in the field of healthcare. The University ensures interdisciplinary development at the intersection of different disciplines. This is our key advantage, thanks to which applied initiatives and practical solutions come into being,” emphasised Oleg Trofimov, Rector of Lobachevsky University.
According to Ksenia Lemberg, General Director of the Atlas Clinic Network, in recent years Russia has seen a growing demand for preventive medicine also known as longevity medicine, which prevents diseases before symptoms appear. Measuring biological age is one of the main tools for tracking the effectiveness of preventive health measures.
“Western calculators depend on population peculiarities and lifestyles, which can be quite different from the Russian population. In order to obtain adequate data specifically in the Russian population, we need a calculator that will be developed taking into account the health peculiarities of our population. Lobachevsky University is very deeply engaged in the problem of ageing and biological age. Therefore, we hope to get the most accurate biological clock possible,” said Ksenia Lemberg.
Biological age calculators or “biological clocks” are considered one of the main tools of preventive medicine and are used to identify unfavourable deviations in the state of individual systems, organs or the human body as a whole. They can use various biomedical data: from general blood tests and X-ray images to the most “deep”, epigenetic data. Scientists from the Institute of Biology of Ageing at Lobachevsky University, led by corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexey Moskalev, Dr. Mikhail Ivanchenko, and leading European gerontologist Claudio Franceschi, have earlier developed a number of advanced tools, including immunological, cognitive clocks, and age calculators based on blood biochemistry.
