RNA Sequencing Data Research on Ageing and Age-Related Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Ageing is a complex process influenced by genetic and epigenetic regulation, post-translational regulation, metabolic regulation, lifestyle, and many other elements. New research methods, drugs, and clinical treatments are emerging, offering opportunities to reveal the mechanisms of ageing and the prevention or treatment of ageing-related diseases.

We have previously studied ageing gene expression changes in the human brain via analyses of exon microarrays from 1234 post mortem brains of individuals who passed away between the ages of 16 and over 100 (UK Brain Bank). We found cell-type-specific gene expression changes and, in particular, a decrease in neuronal gene expression and an increase in microglial genes. We also quantified neurons and oligodendrocytes through machine learning and image analyses and detected an increase in the number of large neurons and a decrease in oligodendrocytes in old brain samples compared to young ones. RNA-Seq allows for the detailed analysis of patients compared to control post mortem brain samples using statistical/bioinformatic analyses. Ageing is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, the second most frequent neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Future statistical/bioinformatic analyses may focus on specific brain cell types (such as neurons, endothelial cells, oligodendrocytes microglia, and astrocytes).

The proposed topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Neurodegenerative diseases;
• The role of neuroinflammation in the development of ageing;
• Ageing gene expression;
• Molecular biomarkers of ageing;
• Experimental models of ageing.

Dr. Lilach Soreq
Prof. Dr. John Hardy
Guest Editors

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• ageing
• bioinformatics
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• RNA-Seq