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23h ago

Science Study Shows Molecular Aging Follows Distinct, Individual Paths

Repeated blood-based multi-omic sampling could help separate normal aging from early disease and steer more personalized care.

The study pulled data from the TwinsUK cohort, which in total includes over 15,000 identical and fraternal twins from across the U.K. (This is a stock image.)
(Credit: Photo by Axel Bueckert on Shutterstock)
Image
An illustration of a single strand of RNA

Overview

  • Researchers led by King’s College London tracked 335 women in the TwinsUK cohort for up to eight years and measured whole-blood gene expression and 1,197 serum metabolites at three or more time points.
  • The team reported in Science on Sept. 3, 2026 that more than 5,000 genes and 181 metabolites changed over time, with many linked to cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative risk.
  • Aging showed a clear immune remodeling pattern with downregulation of T‑cell (adaptive) genes and upregulation of natural killer (innate) genes, and some participants had declining TP53 levels that could affect cancer risk.
  • Molecular trajectories varied by person and were shaped by genetics, seasonality, time of day, cell‑type shifts, and environmental exposure, including a cohort‑wide fall in serum PFAS consistent with U.K. regulation.
  • The study argues for longitudinal, context‑aware molecular profiling to enable earlier, more tailored interventions but notes limits from its female‑only, blood‑centric sample and calls for larger, multi‑sex and multi‑tissue validation before clinical use.