Detailed atlas of aging of cells of the whole organism has been created

It turned out that aging significantly changes not only the quality of cells, but also their number. About a quarter of all cell types show dramatic shifts: the number of some muscle and kidney cells is decreasing, while the number of immune cells, on the contrary, is rapidly increasing. It is noteworthy that these processes start much earlier than expected. The first signs of a decline in important cell populations were recorded by the middle of the life cycle, which confirms the theory of aging as a continuation of development programs.

One of the most unexpected findings was the presence of a high degree of synchronization between organs. Changes in distant tissues occur in parallel, indicating the existence of common systemic signals in the bloodstream that coordinate the aging of the entire body. In addition, fundamental differences in gender have been found: almost half of all age-related transformations in males and females occur differently. In particular, females have a more extensive activation of the immune system, which may explain their predisposition to autoimmune diseases.

Mapping of exposed DNA sites has shown that aging affects specific regulatory points of the genome, rather than occurring randomly. Of the 1.3 million areas studied, about 300,000 showed significant age-related changes. Many of these “hot spots” are responsible for inflammatory processes and maintaining the supply of stem cells. The fact that the same genetic changes are observed in different organs gives hope for the creation of universal therapies.

A study of the mechanisms of signal transmission has revealed that cytokine molecules can act as triggers for many age-related breakdowns. This opens the way to the search for drugs that can modulate the action of these substances and slow down coordinated aging in many organs at once. Scientists have already started the next stage — the development of targeted interventions aimed at protecting the most vulnerable parts of the cellular system.

The atlas created serves as the foundation for the transition from fighting individual diseases to influencing the process of biological wilting itself. Understanding which cells fail first allows doctors to focus on the most critical areas to prolong a healthy life.