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A human tissue-specific transcriptomic analysis reveals a complex relationship between aging, cancer, and cellular
Kasit Chatsirisupachai1, Daniel Palmer1, Susana Ferreira1
1Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Aging Cell
|September 28, 2019
Summary
Aging and cancer share complex, tissue-specific links. While aging often opposes cancer gene expression, some tissues show similar patterns, suggesting varied impacts on cell proliferation and the immune system.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Aging Research
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Aging is the primary risk factor for cancer.
- The molecular mechanisms connecting aging and cancer are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between age-related gene expression and cancer-related gene expression across human tissues.
- To identify common molecular pathways linking aging and cancer.
Main Methods:
- Utilized The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets.
- Compared age- and cancer-associated gene expression patterns in nine human tissues.
- Analyzed gene sets for enrichment of biological processes and cellular senescence signatures.
Main Results:
- Most tissues showed inverse gene expression patterns between aging and cancer.
- Thyroid and uterus tissues exhibited similar transcriptomic changes in aging and cancer.
- Overlapping genes were enriched in cell cycle and immune system pathways.
- Cellular senescence signatures aligned with aging but opposed cancer signatures.
Conclusions:
- Transcriptomic changes in aging and senescence may reduce cell proliferation, contrasting with cancer's promotion of cell division.
- The relationship between aging and cancer is complex and exhibits significant tissue-specific differences.
- Gene expression patterns reveal distinct molecular links between aging and cancer in a tissue-dependent manner.
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