Vascular tissue is the first to age
Study reveals rapid acceleration of aging around age 50
A study has found that human aging accelerates rapidly around the age of 50. Among bodily tissues, vascular tissue was found to be the most sensitive to aging.
Recently, a research team from the China National Center for Bioinformation and Beijing Genomics Institute, both under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, published the results of a study in the international journal Cell. The study analyzed changes in human organ proteins over a span of 50 years.
This research conducted a detailed analysis at the protein and tissue levels using 516 samples collected from 13 human tissues. It presented, for the first time, an 'aging map' that shows how proteins in the human body change as people age.
The researchers found that as people get older, the connection between gene expression (mRNA) and proteins becomes weaker, and errors in the processes of protein synthesis and degradation increase. In particular, the accumulation of abnormal proteins such as amyloids was observed, leading to an overall decline in the body's ability to maintain protein homeostasis.
Based on protein patterns in each organ, the researchers created an 'aging clock' for each tissue. Through this, they revealed that the turning point when aging begins in earnest is, on average, around age 50. In particular, vascular tissue was found to be the first to begin aging and especially vulnerable to the aging process.
Analysis of proteins in plasma revealed that certain proteins, such as GAS6, which increase with aging, play a key role in promoting both vascular and systemic aging. The researchers defined these proteins as 'senoproteins' and suggested that they may be involved in transmitting aging signals between organs.
The researchers stated, "These findings provide a foundation for a systematic understanding of human aging from a protein perspective."
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