Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41004220›Full record

ArticleJournal of global health2025

Unveiling the genetic biomarkers for ageing: evidence from a large sample genome-wide association study and in vivo validation.

Zhikang Cai, Yue Yang, Peng Qu, Sensong Fu, Xu Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Zhikang Cai *Department of Emergency Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Yue Yang *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Peng Qu *Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Sensong FuDepartment of Neuro-oncological Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Xu LiDepartment of Clinical Research Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Ageing, marked by cumulative molecular damage, now leaves most adults spending nearly a decade in poor health. To date, no therapies directly target the ageing process. We performed a large-scale genome-wide association study to identify potential drug targets for extending health span. Methods: By combining genetic and experimental evidence, we prioritise therapeutic targets with the potential to extend healthy lifespan. Using two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) across 26 152 expression quantitative trait loci instruments, we screened for causal links between 5430 potential drug target genes and four ageing phenotypes - frailty index (n = 175 226), HannumAge (n = 34 710), intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (n = 34 710), and telomere length (n = 742 174). We re-evaluated high-confidence loci with summary-databased MR (SMR) and validated them by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Nissl staining, and Western blotting in three- and 20-month-old C57BL/6 mice. Finally, replication in a meta genome-wide association study (GWAS) of long-lived individuals vs. controls across 20 diverse cohorts upheld the association. This integrated genetic-experimental strategy prioritises candidate therapeutic targets for interventions aimed at extending healthy lifespan. Results: Two-sample MR mapped 47 gene-ageing links spanning frailty, telomere length, and two epigenetic clocks. The SMR confirmed 11 with consistent directions and heterogeneity in the dependent instrument support. Both qPCR and Western blot in three- and 20-month C57BL/6 mice confirmed age-dependent down-regulation of UBA7, PLA2G4B, and ATP8B4, validating their functional relevance. Finally, replication in a longevity meta-GWAS specifically confirmed the association for UBA7. Conclusions: These findings highlight UBA7, PLA2G4B, and ATP8B4 as promising targets for interventions aimed at extending health span, shedding light on the biological mechanisms of longevity.

Indexed as

AgingGenome-Wide Association StudyAnimalsFemaleGenetic MarkersHumansLongevityMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisMiceMice, Inbred C57BLGenetic Markers

Identifiers

PMID41004220
PMCPMC12467474

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.