logo
#

Latest news with #GuanghuiLiu

Your body starts aging faster at this ‘inflection point' — it's earlier than you might think
Your body starts aging faster at this ‘inflection point' — it's earlier than you might think

New York Post

time2 days ago

  • Health
  • New York Post

Your body starts aging faster at this ‘inflection point' — it's earlier than you might think

Are you over the hill? A shocking new study has pinpointed the exact window when the human aging process begins to accelerate — and it happens well before you reach senior status. Researchers found the body breaks down unevenly, with one vital organ taking the hardest hit and possibly speeding up damage elsewhere. 3 Your body's organs aren't aging at the same rate — with one particularly susceptible to early decline. Vane Nunes – In the study, Chinese scientists analyzed 516 tissue samples from 76 organ donors between the ages of 14 and 68, all of whom died from accidental traumatic brain injury. The samples covered all of the body's major biological systems, including cardiovascular, digestive, immune, endocrine and skin. Using advanced analysis, the team found that the number of 48 proteins linked to disease became significantly more prominent as donor age increased. The proteins were tied to a host of conditions, from cardiovascular disease and tissue fibrosis to fatty liver and liver-related tumors. But not all organs aged equally. Protein-level changes in the adrenal gland — the hormone-producing powerhouse — began showing up as early as age 30. But the real shift happened between ages 45 and 55, when protein expression ramped up rapidly across several major organ systems. 3 The body likely hits an 'inflection point' where aging begins to accelerate around the age of 50. micromonkey – The most dramatic changes showed up in the aorta, the body's main artery responsible for sending oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. 'Temporal analysis revealed an aging inflection around age 50, with blood vessels being a tissue that ages early and is markedly susceptible to aging,' the study authors wrote. One protein in particular, known as GAS6, stood out. Its levels rose in the aorta as donors got older — and researchers think it may play a central role in triggering aging throughout the body. In experiments, the team injected young mice with GAS6. After, they found that the rodents developed clear signs of premature aging, including weak grip strength, poor balance and visible damage to their blood vessels. 3 Blood vessels may carry proteins that promote aging throughout the body, researcher suspect. AJ_stock_photos – 'Blood vessels seem to act as a conduit carrying molecules that promote aging throughout the body,' Guanghui Liu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who lead the study, said in an interview with local news outlet The Chosun Daily. The findings reinforce the growing belief that aging doesn't happen on a straight timeline. However, further research is needed to declare 50 a biological breaking point, according to Maja Olecka, a scientist at the Leibniz Institute on Aging — Fritz Lipmann Institute in Germany, who was not involved in the study. 'There are these waves of age-related changes,' Olecka told Scientific American. 'But it is still difficult to make a general conclusion about the timing of the inflection points.' In the US, nearly 58 million Americans are 65 and older — and that number is projected to soar to nearly 89 million by 2060, according to the National Institute on Aging. While good health is key to independence and productivity later in life, a staggering 93% of older Americans have at least one chronic condition — and nearly 80% suffer from two or more. 'These insights may facilitate the development of targeted interventions for ageing and age-related diseases, paving the way to improve the health of older adults,' the study authors concluded.

Organs Age in Waves Accelerating at 50 Years Old
Organs Age in Waves Accelerating at 50 Years Old

Scientific American

time5 days ago

  • Health
  • Scientific American

Organs Age in Waves Accelerating at 50 Years Old

It is a warning that middle-aged people have long offered the young: ageing is not a smooth process. Now, an exhaustive analysis of how proteins change over time in different organs backs up that idea, finding that people experience an inflection point at around 50 years old, after which ageing seems to accelerate. The study, published 25 July in Cell, also suggests that some tissues — especially blood vessels — age faster than others, and it identifies molecules that can hasten the march of time. The findings add to mounting evidence that ageing is not linear, but is instead pockmarked by periods of rapid change. Even so, larger studies are needed before scientists can label the age of 50 as a crisis point, says Maja Olecka, who studies ageing at the Leibniz Institute on Aging — Fritz Lipmann Institute in Jena, Germany, and was not involved in the study. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. 'There are these waves of age-related changes,' she says. 'But it is still difficult to make a general conclusion about the timing of the inflection points.' Showing their age Previous work has shown that different organs can age at different rates. To further unpick this, Guanghui Liu, who studies regenerative medicine at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and his colleagues, collected tissue samples from 76 people of Chinese ancestry aged 14 to 68 who had died from accidental brain injury. The samples came from organs representing eight of the body's systems, including the cardiovascular, immune and digestive systems. The researchers then created a compendium of the proteins found in each of the samples. They found age-related increases in the expression of 48 disease-associated proteins, and saw early changes at around age 30 in the adrenal gland, which is responsible for producing various hormones. This tracks well with previous data, says Michael Snyder, a geneticist at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California. 'It fits the idea that your hormonal and metabolic control are a big deal,' he says. 'That is where some of the most profound shifts occur as people age.' Between the ages of 45 and 55 came a turning point marked by large changes in protein levels. The most dramatic shift was found in the aorta, the body's main artery, which carries oxygenated blood out of the heart. The team tracked down one protein produced in the aorta that, when administered to mice, triggers signs of accelerated ageing. Liu speculates that blood vessels act as a conduit, carrying molecules that promote ageing to remote destinations throughout the body. The study is an important addition to others that have analysed molecules circulating in the blood, rather than tissue samples taken from individual organs, as a way to monitor age-related changes, says Snyder. 'We're like a car,' he says. 'Some parts wear out faster.' Knowing which parts are prone to wear and tear can help researchers to develop ways to intervene to promote healthy ageing, he says. Halfway to 100 Last year, Snyder and his colleagues found ageing inflection points around the ages of 44 and 60. Other studies have found accelerated ageing at different times, including at around 80 years old, which was beyond the scope of the current study, says Olecka. Discrepancies with other studies can emerge from their use of different kinds of samples, populations and analytical approaches, says Liu. As data build over time, key molecular pathways involved in ageing will probably converge across studies, he adds. These data will accumulate rapidly, says Olecka, because researchers are increasingly incorporating detailed time series in their studies, rather than simply comparing 'young' with 'old'. And those results could help researchers to interpret these periods of rapid change. 'Currently, we do not understand what triggers this transition point,' she says. 'It's a really intriguing emerging field.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store