Industry partners Bayer and Hurdle announce milestone in non-invasive saliva test for inflammation

Recent ground-breaking research has revealed a novel non-invasive approach to measure long-term inflammation in the body and monitor health and ageing, which could lead to a revolutionary test using just a saliva sample. 

Researchers at the University of Birmingham working with the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), in collaboration with partners from the University of Edinburgh and Bayer and Hurdle, have played a key role in a major breakthrough in ageing research.

The study, published today, introduces InflammAge — a novel saliva-based DNA methylation biomarker designed to quantify systemic chronic inflammation (SCI). This innovative, non-invasive approach offers an unprecedented opportunity to track inflammation-related biological ageing, providing a transformative tool for precision medicine and preventative healthcare.

The study, titled “A novel framework to build saliva-based DNA methylation biomarkers: Quantifying systemic chronic inflammation as a case study,” showcases the contributions of leading academics from Birmingham and Edinburgh alongside industry collaborators at Hurdle and Bayer Consumer Health. 

Conducted using data from more than 18,000 participants known as the Generation Scotland cohort, the research highlights a strong association between InflammAge and key health outcomes, including all-cause mortality, lifestyle factors, and the likelihood of developing age-related diseases. Notably, the biomarker outperforms traditional blood markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), in predicting long-term health risks.

“There are many biomarkers that relate to biological ageing. InflammAge is novel in that it relates to one of the hallmarks of ageing, namely inflammation. Changes in this biomarker will therefore give information on factors driving any acceleration in biological age, allowing therapeutic interventions to be developed.”

Professor Janet M Lord FMedSci, CBE, Emeritus Professor of Immune Cell Biology, University of Birmingham, and former theme lead of the NIHR Birmingham BRC Sarcopenia and Multimorbidity research theme

The research demonstrates that InflammAge can effectively assess biological ageing, offering a reliable alternative to traditional blood-based and tissue-based methods of measuring inflammation at the cellular level.

The study also underscores the impact of lifestyle choices on biological ageing, revealing that factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption accelerate InflammAge, while healthy dietary patterns — such as regular consumption of oily fish — are associated with a slower rate of inflammation-driven ageing. These findings highlight the importance of lifestyle modifications in managing chronic inflammation and improving long-term health outcomes.

The University of Birmingham’s role in this study exemplifies the power of academic-industry collaboration, with Hurdle’s AI-powered biomarker discovery platform playing a critical role in translating complex biological data into actionable health insights. Dr. Daniel Martin-Herranz, Chief Science Officer at Hurdle, stated: “InflammAge represents a paradigm shift in how we measure and understand chronic inflammation. By developing a robust, saliva-based biomarker, we are not only advancing precision medicine, but also making cutting-edge science accessible for preventative health.”

Veronika Óvári, Global Senior Medical Manager at Bayer’s Consumer Health division, added: “As the global population ages, it is increasingly important to better understand and reliably quantify ageing at the biological level. We are excited that through InflammAge a simple, non-invasive, saliva test could revolutionise self-care and how people can manage their ageing journey.”

Read the full paper in the Ageing Cell journal.