Development of Sensitive and Specific Proteomic Biomarkers of Aging, Health, Frailty, and Morbidity in Human Cohorts

National Institute On Aging

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Building on our previous efforts to develop senescence biomarker signatures, we have focused our efforts on the discovery of a novel set of senescence biomarkers found in monocytes, a cell type that is both proximal to the blood and known to increase in senescence with age in humans. In the past year, we have established a senescent monocyte culture and performed large-scale proteomic analysis of senescent human monocytes. Further, to test this cell-type specific set of biomarkers and its relationship to aging and diseases in humans, we are initiating studies in several cohorts: GESTALT, BLSA, and InCHIANTI, to correlate a new set of biomarker candidates with human health, frailty, and other clinical parameters. The purpose and scope of this research project going forward is to develop and apply state-of-the-art mass spectrometry based proteomic techniques to discover and validate subsets of proteins and protein forms that are representative of aging and disease burdens in human tissues, blood, and other biofluids.