Chinese researchers establish new model to predict human organ aging

BEIJING -- A team of Chinese researchers has recently developed a model to predict the aging of 13 human organs, including the brain, enabling precise assessment of organ aging levels, the China Science Daily reported on Monday.

Previous research focused mainly on the common features of overall aging or explored only the aging mechanisms of isolated organs, making it difficult to decipher the distinct genetic patterns and molecular pathways associated with the aging of different organs. This has hindered our deeper understanding of the nature of aging, and restricted the development and implementation of precise anti-aging strategies.

The research team, led by Yang Tielin from Xi'an Jiaotong University, conducted a genome-wide association analysis that identified 119 genetic loci associated with organ aging. Among them, only 27 were found to be associated with aging across multiple organs, confirming that the genetic regulation of aging is very different across organs in the human body.

The study selected and identified 554 organ-aging risk genes, which exhibit functions highly consistent with the physiological characteristics of their respective organs, revealing the core molecular mechanisms behind the aging process of each organ.

The new model demonstrates robust and accurate predictive capabilities for assessing organ-aging status across diverse populations, laying a foundation for future mechanistic research and clinical applications.

It also facilitates the early screening of high-risk groups and clarifies the causal relationships between organ aging and chronic diseases, as well as the impact of smoking on the aging of specific organs, providing critical insights and evidence for disease prevention.

The study has been published in Nature Communications.