Introduction: From Describing Aging to Quantifying It
Aging is a complex, networked process spanning molecules, cells, and organ systems. Due to significant variations in aging rates among individuals and the asynchrony of organ decline, accurately "quantifying" aging has become a core challenge in geriatric medicine. Recently, the Aging Biomarker Consortium (ABC), with key participation from the Guanghui-Liu Lab (Institute of Zoology, CAS), published a landmark paper in Cell titled "Multimodal clocks of human aging." This study established the world's first multimodal framework for human aging clocks, creating a quantifiable and intervenable "Digital Human."
Scientific Pain Point: Identifying High-Precision "Aging Proxies"
In the process of constructing the Digital Human, the research team faced a massive data-dimensionality challenge: how to identify a "proxy indicator" from a vast array of physiological parameters and molecular omics that can sensitively reflect systemic aging while maintaining high potential for clinical translation?
Technical Roadmap: PTM BIO’s Plasma Proteomics Enables "Precision Reading"
Relying on the multicenter Chinese Aging Study (mCAS) cohort, which included 2,019 subjects, the research team utilized PTM BIO’s deep plasma proteomics technology to achieve full-dimensional quantification from macro-phenotypes to micro-molecules, achieving several breakthroughs:
Defining the "Gauge" for Systemic Aging: The study confirmed that the plasma proteome is the optimal proxy for systemic aging. An aging clock constructed with only 108 core proteins (such as CHI3L1, IGFBP5, etc.) achieved predictive accuracy comparable to full-dimensional multimodal clocks, requiring fewer features and demonstrating higher consistency across different models.
Mapping Organ-Specific Asynchrony: By quantifying organ-specific enriched proteins in plasma, the study achieved non-invasive assessment of six key organs, including the brain, liver, and vasculature. It revealed significant aging turning points—around age 40 for the liver and age 50 for the brain.
Identifying Key Drivers: Proteomic trajectory analysis identified an aging inflection point between ages 60 and 70, characterized by the significant activation of the coagulation cascade.
Mechanistic Insight: Accumulation of Coagulation Factors Drives Systemic Aging
Beyond quantitative assessment, blood omics data helped reveal the driving mechanisms of aging. The study found that various liver-derived coagulation factors (e.g., F9, F10, F13B) are significantly up-regulated in plasma with age. Functional experiments confirmed that the accumulation of these factors directly induces vascular endothelial dysfunction and systemic immune inflammation. This discovery provides the first causal evidence that the coagulation pathway is a critical link driving vascular and systemic aging, laying the foundation for targeted intervention strategies.
PTM BIO: Empowering High-Depth Biomarker Discovery and Mechanistic Analysis
In this milestone research constructing the "Digital Human," PTM BIO leveraged its deep expertise in blood omics to provide core support for complex biomarker screening:
Conquering High Dynamic Range Detection: High-abundance proteins in blood samples often mask critical signals. PTM BIO offers mature, high-depth plasma proteomics solutions (based on antibody or magnetic bead enrichment), capable of detecting 8,000+ proteins. This ensures the precise quantification of critical biomarkers like coagulation factors and low-abundance regulatory factors.
One-Stop Omics Validation Platform: We provide full-chain services—from plasma and exosome proteomics to modification omics (glycosylation, lactylation, etc.) and PRM targeted validation. This helps researchers bridge the gap between "large-scale omics screening" and "causal mechanistic validation," creating a complete research loop.
As a leader in proteomics-driven precision medicine, PTM BIO remains dedicated to helping researchers solve the challenges of complex biological samples to reveal the essence of aging and disease.
Discover how plasma proteomics can empower your precision medicine research:
