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Undulating changes in human plasma proteome profiles across the lifespan
Benoit Lehallier1,2,3, David Gate4,5,6,7, Nicholas Schaum8
1Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. lehallib@stanford.edu.
Nature Medicine
|December 7, 2019
Summary
Aging alters blood proteins in distinct waves, particularly in the fourth, seventh, and eighth decades of life. These proteomic changes offer new insights and potential therapeutic targets for age-related diseases.
Area of Science:
- Proteomics
- Gerontology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Aging is a major risk factor for chronic diseases, impacting healthspan.
- Young blood plasma has shown potential in reversing age-related changes.
- Understanding age-related molecular alterations in blood is crucial for disease biology insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in the human plasma proteome.
- To identify non-linear alterations and distinct biological pathways associated with aging.
- To uncover potential therapeutic targets for age-related diseases.
Main Methods:
- Measured 2,925 plasma proteins in 4,263 individuals aged 18-95 years.
- Developed a novel bioinformatics approach to analyze proteomic data.
- Identified age-dependent waves of proteomic alterations.
Main Results:
- Discovered significant non-linear changes in the plasma proteome across the human lifespan.
- Identified distinct waves of proteomic alterations in the fourth, seventh, and eighth decades of life.
- These waves correlated with specific biological pathways and associations with age-related diseases and traits.
Conclusions:
- The human plasma proteome undergoes distinct, non-linear changes with age.
- Specific decades show unique proteomic signatures linked to aging.
- These findings reveal novel pathways and potential therapeutic targets for age-related diseases.
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