洛克菲勒大学细胞生物学家曹俊跃团队通过分析小鼠细胞发现，衰老并非无序的线性退化过程，而是遵循明确阶段的有组织生物学程序1。该研究分析了来自约50只雌雄小鼠14个组织器官的21万个细胞，涵盖5个生命阶段1。研究人员识别出536种主要细胞类型和1828种亚型，其中仅约四分之一的亚型在衰老中表现出显著变化1。此外，研究团队发现了280000个基因组区域在衰老过程中于特定细胞类型中反复地开启或关闭1。
衰老过程在不同时间段呈现不同的细胞动态模式1。在小鼠生命早期（3-6个月，相当于人类20-30岁），某些脂肪、肌肉和脑部未成熟细胞出现损失1；进入6-12个月阶段（相当于人类30-40岁）时，维持身体组织的关键细胞数量大幅下降1。到12个月时（相当于人类40-50岁），衰老过程从细胞消耗阶段转向细胞扩张阶段1。在16个月时期（相当于人类50岁以后），特殊的衰老相关免疫细胞开始大幅增加1。研究还发现人类在中年（40多岁到50多岁之间）存在"突然衰老"现象1。这一系列发现已发表在2025年和2026年的《科学》杂志上1。
Researchers at Rockefeller University have challenged the conventional understanding of aging by demonstrating that it follows a coordinated, staged biological program rather than occurring as a random linear process of deterioration. Led by cellular biologist Cao Junyue, the team analyzed 21 million mouse cells across 14 tissues or organs from approximately 50 male and female mice at five different life stages, identifying 536 major cell types and 1,828 subtypes 1. The analysis revealed that only about one-quarter of these cell subtypes showed strong changes during aging, and researchers identified 280,000 genomic regions that repeatedly opened or closed in specific cell types as aging progressed 1.
The study uncovered distinct aging phases marked by characteristic cellular shifts. In mice aged 3–6 months, equivalent to humans in their 20s to 30s, certain fat, muscle, and immature brain cells were lost 1. During the 6–12 month period, corresponding to human ages 30–40, cells essential for maintaining body tissue decreased substantially 1. At 12 months of age, comparable to humans aged 40–50, the pattern shifted from cell loss to cell expansion 1. By 16 months, equivalent to humans over 50, specialized aging-related immune cells began to expand 1. The research identified a phenomenon of "sudden aging" in humans occurring between their 40s and 50s 1.
The findings, published in Science magazine in 2025 and 2026, represent a significant reframing of aging biology and suggest that understanding these programmed stages could inform future interventions in the aging process 1.
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