Children with MS Show Signs of Aging Two Years Faster

Teenagers with multiple sclerosis carry DNA patterns that suggest their bodies are aging up to two years faster than their healthy peers, according to new research from UC San Diego that challenges how doctors think about the autoimmune disease. The study, published in Neurology, represents the first examination of whether MS accelerates aging in children—a discovery that could reshape treatment approaches for young patients.

Hidden Cellular Damage in Seemingly Healthy Kids

The research team analyzed blood samples from 125 children with MS and 145 healthy children, focusing on DNA methylation markers that reveal biological age. Unlike chronological age counted in birthdays, biological age tracks how quickly cells deteriorate.

“We found evidence that children living with MS experience accelerated biological aging,” said Dr. Jennifer S. Graves, senior author and professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine. The children with MS showed signs of premature aging despite appearing outwardly healthy and having an average chronological age of just 15 years.

What makes this finding particularly striking? The researchers deliberately chose to study children and teenagers who hadn’t yet been affected by normal aging processes or age-related conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

The Science Behind Accelerated Aging

The study employed four different epigenetic clock algorithms to measure biological age, with two showing statistically significant differences. The Hannum clock revealed children with MS were aging 1.50 years faster biologically, while the PhenoAge clock showed an acceleration of 1.72 years.

These epigenetic clocks analyze chemical modifications to DNA—specifically examining approximately 850,000 cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites across the genome. The two clocks showing the strongest effects are particularly sensitive to health-related stress and inflammation, suggesting the immune attack characteristic of MS may be driving premature cellular aging.

Key Research Findings:

• Children with MS showed accelerated aging in 2 of 4 epigenetic measurement systems
• The most affected children appeared to age up to 2 years faster biologically
• Differences persisted even after adjusting for factors like body mass index and socioeconomic status
• Results align with previous studies in adult MS populations

Implications for Future Treatment

The discovery carries significant implications for how MS is understood and treated. Previous research has linked biological age to disability progression in adults with MS, but this study suggests the aging process begins much earlier—potentially before visible symptoms of disease progression appear.

“This is a whole new concept in MS,” Graves explained. “Aging isn’t something we think of affecting teenagers. But these kids are accumulating cellular damage that may not show up clinically until years later, when they suddenly transition from doing fine to disease progression in their 30s.”

The finding could explain why some young adults with MS experience unexpected disease progression despite years of apparent stability. If cellular aging begins in childhood, the cumulative damage might only become clinically apparent decades later.

Beyond Current Treatment Approaches

Current MS treatments focus primarily on suppressing the immune system to prevent relapses. However, if accelerated aging contributes to long-term disability, treatment strategies might need to expand beyond immunosuppression to address the aging process itself.

“If we can understand the interplay between the immune system, the brain and aging—and break that open—we might be able to put MS into full remission in the future,” Graves noted.

The research team plans to conduct longitudinal studies tracking patients over time to determine how early biological aging contributes to long-term disability. They also intend to investigate whether social stressors, obesity, and environmental factors accelerate aging in children with MS, particularly given the higher prevalence of pediatric MS among lower-income families.

A New Understanding of MS Progression

Multiple sclerosis affects approximately 2.8 million people worldwide, with most diagnoses occurring in young adults. The disease attacks the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, causing symptoms that can range from mild to severely disabling.

This research suggests that even in its earliest stages, MS may set in motion cellular changes that influence the disease’s long-term trajectory. The discovery that biological aging can be detected in teenage patients opens new avenues for early intervention strategies that might prevent or slow disease progression later in life.

For families dealing with pediatric MS, the findings offer both concern and hope—concern about hidden cellular damage, but hope that understanding these processes earlier might lead to more effective treatments that address not just immune dysfunction, but the aging process that appears intertwined with MS progression.