Credit: Tzu-Chiao Lu et al.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have characterized the aging process in over 160 laboratory fruit fly cell types, providing insight for future research into aging and age-related diseases. The findings could lead to discovering novel ways to promote healthy aging and evaluate the efficacy of anti-aging strategies.
In a study published in Science, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and other contributing universities present the first Aging Fly Cell Atlas (AFCA) an in-depth analysis of the aging process of 163 fruit fly cell types. By taking samples at various stages of life, the researchers were able to monitor cell aging behavior by conducting single-nucleus RNA sequencing and monitoring 4 key aging metrics.
“We have learned that each of the four aging features we studied measures a different aspect of the cell and that not a single feature applies to all cell types,” said Dr. Hongjie Li, assistant professor of molecular and human genetics and the Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor. “Combining all aging features led us to discover unique cell type-specific aging patterns and comparing them revealed useful and interesting findings. For instance, neurons in the brain age slowly, while muscle, fat and liver cells age much faster. Also, cell-type specific aging patterns may vary according to gender.”
The team plans to further their research to better understand the mechanisms behind these changes. Since about 75% of genes associated with human disease share a functional counterpart in fruit flies, future research could provide invaluable insights into human aging and human age-related diseases.