Published on: Jun 09, 2025
Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that children with multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit signs of accelerated biological aging—even during adolescence. The study, recently published in Neurology®, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, is the first to investigate early aging in pediatric MS patients, shedding new light on how the disease may progress over time.
We discovered that children living with MS are biologically older than their peers without MS,” said Dr. Jennifer S. Graves, senior author, professor and vice chair of neurosciences, and chief of neuroimmunology at UC San Diego. Using epigenetic clocks—tools that measure age-related chemical changes to DNA—we found evidence of faster aging at the cellular level in these young individuals. In adults, we know accelerated aging is linked to more severe forms of MS. Our findings suggest this process may begin much earlier than previously believed.
MS is a chronic autoimmune disorder that targets the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. To assess biological aging, the research team examined DNA methylation patterns—biomarkers that reflect cellular wear and tear—in blood samples from 125 children with MS and 145 without. While these children appeared outwardly healthy, those with MS showed epigenetic patterns indicating they were up to two years older biologically than their actual chronological age, despite being only about 15 years old on average.
The researchers observed differences across four epigenetic clocks, with the most notable changes appearing in those most responsive to stress and inflammation—key contributors to MS. These findings are particularly significant because the study focused on a young population not yet affected by common age-related conditions like diabetes or hypertension, reinforcing the idea that MS itself may be driving the early aging process.
Biological age has already been linked to disease progression in adults with MS. This new evidence suggests the process may begin silently in childhood, potentially long before symptoms worsen later in life.
This concept changes the way we think about MS, said Dr. Graves. We don’t usually associate aging with teenagers, but our study shows they may already be accumulating cellular damage that could contribute to earlier progression in adulthood. Understanding the connections between aging, the immune system, and the brain could help us move toward strategies that not only manage MS—but potentially halt or reverse its course.”
The team hopes to expand their research by following pediatric MS patients over time to better understand how accelerated aging contributes to long-term disability. They also plan to investigate how factors like obesity, environmental exposures, and socioeconomic stress may influence the rate of biological aging in young patients, particularly since pediatric MS is more common in lower-income populations.
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