Publications

Eunike Velleuer, Carsten Carlberg

Fanconi anaemia as a human model of accelerated epigenetic and immune ageing

Ageing Research Reviews 2026, Volume 115

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a DNA-repair disorder that compresses multiple hallmarks of ageing into childhood and early adulthood. Persistent genomic instability in FA precipitates oxidative stress, inflammatory remodelling, and metabolic reprogramming, which together erode epigenetic integrity and immune competence. Here we provide evidence FA-specific DNA-repair failure is linked to mitochondrial metabolism, nutrient-sensing networks, and immune dysfunction. In this context, we discuss how these interactions accelerate epigenetic drift and cancer susceptibility. We propose FA as a human “time-lapse” model to separate the sequence and interdependence of selected ageing hallmarks, such as genome instability, epigenetic deregulation, stem cell exhaustion, and immunosenescence, which together contribute to a markedly increased risk of early cancer development. We further highlight nutrigenomic mechanisms, including vitamin D-dependent chromatin remodelling and redox-sensitive cofactors, that modulate epigenetic states and immune resilience. Framing FA within the broader framework of ageing biology suggests testable biomarkers and precision-prevention strategies aimed at stabilising the epigenome, delaying carcinogenesis, and prolonging healthspan.

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Maciej Rybiński, Ranjini Ghosh Dastidar, Natalia Zawrotna, Emilia Gospodarska & Carsten Carlberg

Chromatin and transcriptional dynamics underlying the immune-modulatory effects of vitamin D3 in vivo

Scientific Reports volume 16, Article number: 2997 (2026)

Vitamin D₃ is an essential micronutrient that supports innate immunity and modulates adaptive responses, with in vitro studies implicating epigenetic mechanisms. Yet, in vivo evidence for such regulation remains scarce. Here, we assessed genome-wide epigenomic and transcriptomic responses to vitamin D₃ in a high responder from the VitDHiD repeated-measures, non-randomized interventional N-of-1 study, in which the participant received monthly oral boluses of 80,000 IU vitamin D₃ over three months. 

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Marianna Raczyk and Carsten Carlberg

From Sunlight to Signaling: Evolutionary Integration of Vitamin D and Sterol Metabolism

Metabolites 2026, 16(1), 74;

Background/Objectives: This review integrates evolutionary, metabolic, genetic, and nutritional perspectives to explain how sterol-derived vitamin D pathways shape human physiology and inter-individual variability in vitamin D status. Methods: The literature on sterol and vitamin D metabolism across animals, plants, fungi, and algae was synthesized with data from metabolomics databases, genome-wide association studies, RNA-seq resources (including GTEx), structural biology, and functional genomics.

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Carsten Carlberg, Andreas Blüthner, Irini Schoeman-Giziakis, Annemarie Oosting, Luca Cocolin

Modulating biological aging with food-derived signals: a systems and precision nutrition perspective

npj Aging volume 11, Article number: 76 (2025)

Lifespan extension has not prevented age-related decline. We propose that diet acts as a molecular modulator of aging, influencing inflammation, the microbiome, and systemic resilience. Biological age markers and AI-powered multi-omics reveal actionable dietary targets, including food-derived signals and Nutrition Dark Matter. We highlight precision nutrition and the EIT Food Healthy Aging Think & Do Tank as pathways to align science, policy, and practice for healthy aging.

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