Unveiling the Secrets of Aging: A Cellular Atlas by Scientists
In a groundbreaking study published today in Science, researchers at The Rockefeller University have created the most comprehensive cellular atlas of aging to date. The study examined nearly 7 million individual cells across 21 organs in mammals.
The research reveals that aging doesn’t happen randomly—it unfolds in a coordinated way throughout the body. Many age-related shifts happen in sync across multiple organs. Perhaps most surprisingly, scientists found that aging starts earlier than previously expected. They also discovered that nearly half of these changes differ between males and females.
“Our goal was to understand not just what changes with aging, but why,” says Junyue Cao, who heads the Laboratory of Single Cell Genomics and Population Dynamics at Rockefeller. “By mapping both cellular and molecular changes, we can identify what drives aging. That opens the door to interventions that target the aging process itself.”
By examining mice at three different life stages, the team identified which cell types are most vulnerable over time and what factors may be driving their decline. The full aging atlas is now available to the public at epiage.net, providing researchers worldwide with unprecedented insights that could lead to new anti-aging therapies and beauty treatments targeting the root causes of cellular aging.
This research has major implications for the beauty industry’s growing focus on “skin longevity” and cellular health. It moves beyond surface-level treatments to address the fundamental biological mechanisms of aging.
Source: Science Daily