Have you ever wondered how the aging of our body occurs? Does it happen equally inside and outside? Guang-Hui Liu, a researcher in regenerative medicine at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, argues that aging is a degenerative process that affects multiple organs and systems simultaneously. Driven by the desire to answer his questions, he conducted a study published in the journal Cell, where it can be read how his team focused on changes in proteins and their relationship with aging. This is how they created the Aging Atlas, studying 516 samples of 13 different types of human tissue, donated by 76 people aged 14-68 who had died due to a traumatic brain injury.
The study revealed that the aortic proteome is the most variable, and that moreover, its secretome and plasma proteome evolve in sync, which suggests that senokines act by transmitting aging signals throughout the body. Another finding was that the 48 proteins related to fatty liver disease, heart diseases, tissue fibrosis, and liver-related tumors increase with age. Several experts were asked about this study, including Cheng-Han Chen, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, who emphasizes the importance of this study in understanding the biochemical bases of aging and applying preventive medicine.
On the other hand, Manisha Parulekar, head of the Geriatrics Division at Hackensack University Medical Center, explains that an accumulation of misfolded proteins is responsible for neurodegenerative diseases, as is the case with amyloids and Alzheimer’s. One of Liu’s conclusions is the need to understand why and how this aging occurs in order to be able to implement proactive medicine, as opposed to the current reactive approach.
Aging Atlas
Although there are aesthetic means to stop the unstoppable aging of the human body, both inside and out. This is precisely the case study that led Guang-Hui Liu, PhD, a researcher in regenerative medicine at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to develop the Aging Atlas. Along with her team, she conducted a study published in the journal Cell, where the conclusions obtained can be read. Liu called it the “protein aging atlas,” as it analyzed 48 proteins related to diseases such as tissue fibrosis, liver tumors, fatty liver disease, and heart disease. A total of 516 samples from 13 tissues donated by 76 people aged 14-68 years, who had died from traumatic brain injury. Lui explained
“Covering seven physiological systems and thirteen pivotal tissues, the atlas presents a panoramic, dynamic portrait of organismal aging from a protein-centric perspective”. “The more than 20,000 proteins encoded by the genome serve as the structural bedrock of cells; their dynamic networks exquisitely orchestrate physiological homeostasis and act as the principal executors of virtually every biological process”. “Consequently, systematically charting a panoramic, lifespan-wide atlas of proteomic dynamics and dissecting the reprogramming rules of protein networks at organ- and system-level scales are pivotal for accurately identifying the core drivers of aging and for establishing precise intervention targets”.
Other experts were also asked
One of the experts asked about the results and importance of this study was certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, Cheng-Han Chen. He explained that “This study found that protein changes in the body associated with aging seem to accelerate around age 50, depending on the type of body tissue. This is an interesting finding that helps us better understand the types of biochemical changes underlying aging and potentially provides targets for therapy at different stages of a person’s life”.
For her part, the head of the Geriatrics Division at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, Manisha Parulekar, explained, “The idea that our cells lose the ability to maintain a healthy and functional proteome (the collection of proteins) is a cornerstone of modern aging theory. The accumulation of misfolded proteins, such as amyloids, is the classic example, most well-known in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The findings of this study on the widespread accumulation of amyloid in many tissues confirm that this is not just a specific brain problem, but a systemic feature of aging”.
Furthermore, I talk about the importance of opting for a productive approach, “This research aims to transform medicine from a reactive model, focused on disease, to a proactive one, centered on health,” he continued. “By understanding the what and when of aging, we can develop the tools to compress morbidity – allowing people to not only live longer but to live healthier and more vibrant lives”.