A transcriptome-based tool for assessing skin aging reveals the ameliorative effect of stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles on UVB-induced aging.

Jinpeng Xie, Lihong Wang, Shuaifei Zhao, Jue Wang, Yang Cheng, Lei Xu, Ting Kou, Ying Chen, Yuxiu Ying, Xiaoshuang Xin, Ting Zhang, Xu Xu, Dandan Lu, Xiangyu Hu, Yusu Zhang, Chenyu Qiu, Jun Wang, Gu Cheng, Jing Zhou, Siyun Lei, Qiqi Lyu, Jingtao Li, Yihuai Pan, Tong Cao

Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, P. R. China. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Quantifying biological aging is essential for understanding functional decline and evaluating anti-aging interventions. We present SkinAGE, a fast and resource-efficient transcriptome-based aging clock built using a deep neural network (DNN) trained on gene expression profiles of human dermal fibroblasts. SkinAGE accurately predicts cellular aging status across independent cohorts and a UVB-induced photoaging model. In 23rd-passage HFF-1 cells, the model assigned an average age score of 44, which increased by 24 units after UVB exposure, indicating enhanced transcriptomic senescence. Treatment with human embryonic stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (hESC-EVs) reduced this score by an average of 21.2 units, suggesting a potent ameliorative effect on cellular aging. Transcriptomic analysis supported this, showing restoration of aging-related gene expression, including enrichment of cell cycle progression and p53 signaling pathways. Overall, SkinAGE provides a scalable, accurate, and cost-effective framework for quantifying cellular aging and assessing rejuvenation strategies.

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Research summary

The paper claims that stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles can ameliorate UVB-induced cellular aging as measured by a novel transcriptome-based aging clock. This research is relevant as it addresses mechanisms of cellular aging and potential interventions, contributing to the understanding of aging processes and rejuvenation strategies.

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