Aging plasma proteome

The term "Aging plasma proteome" refers to the collection of circulating proteins in human plasma whose abundance and modification systematically change with chronological and biological aging. Robust, reproducible proteomic signatures consist of dozens to hundreds of proteins whose levels increase or decrease with age across multiple populations and cohorts. These protein changes are associated with a wide range of biological processes, including inflammation, extracellular matrix organization, metabolism, stress response, immune activity, and tissue regeneration[1][2][4][6][7]. Plasma proteomic profiles can be used as biomarkers for healthy aging, frailty, risk of multimorbidity, and all-cause mortality, and can serve as minimally-invasive tools to assess the biological age of individuals[2][3][4][5]. While individual proteins within these signatures (such as KLOTHO, GDF-15, BCAN, and others) might be direct drug targets or mechanistic drivers of aging and disease, the "aging plasma proteome" as a collective term does **not** denote a single druggable target, receptor, or molecular entity[3][6][7]. Instead, it is a composite biomarker or molecular readout, commonly studied for purposes of risk prediction, biological aging estimation, and biomarker-guided interventions, but not directly as a therapeutic target itself. Accordingly, "Aging plasma proteome" is not a canonical therapeutic target like an enzyme, receptor, or transporter, but rather an umbrella term describing a physiologically relevant but molecularly heterogeneous set of circulating proteins reflective of the systemic aging process[1][7][5]. Note: - This designation is incorrect as a standalone target for therapeutic modulation. It refers to a biomarker set, not a discrete molecular target for intervention[1][3][7]. - For research or therapeutic targeting, it is necessary to focus on specific proteins within the aging plasma proteome (e.g., GDF-15, KLOTHO, etc.), which can be targets themselves.

Other names

Plasma aging protein signaturePlasma proteomic aging signatureAge-associated plasma protein setAging proteomic clock