Mouse and patient heart transplants: graft biological age tracks the recipient
In heterochronic heart transplants in mice and patients, the graft's biological age was strongly associated with the recipient's age rather than the donor's, with no reciprocal effect on the recipient's systemic biological age. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The authors studied biological age dynamics in heterochronic heart transplants in both mice and patients. [1]
The biological age of experimental heart transplants rapidly assimilated the age of recipients, limited to the grafted tissue. [1]
Clinically, the biological age of heterochronically transplanted hearts was strongly associated with the recipient's age rather than the donor's. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of a multiomic and biomarker study in mice and patients
- Population / context
- Mice and patients receiving heterochronic heart transplants
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- September 17, 2026
Heterochronic heart grafts in mice and patients
The abstract describes a shortage of donor organs and notes that organs are often transplanted across an age difference between donor and recipient. The authors studied biological age dynamics in heterochronic heart transplants, meaning donor and recipient differed in age, in both mice and patients. They used multiomic profiling and advanced biomarkers of aging to examine interactions between the transplanted organ and the host.
Supporting source [1]
Graft age followed recipient, not donor
The abstract reports that the biological age of experimental heart transplants rapidly assimilated the age of recipients. This effect was limited to the grafted tissue, without reciprocal effects on the recipient's systemic biological age. The findings were confirmed at the level of DNA methylation and gene expression. Clinically, the biological age of heterochronically transplanted hearts was strongly associated with the recipient's age rather than the donor's.
Supporting source [1]
Abstract-only scope and association limits
The authors conclude that the systemic environment may drive tissue biological age and suggest that rejuvenation of older organs in young recipients could inform organ allocation. These are associations from the described analyses, not proof of cause. The abstract does not report sample sizes, follow-up, or full methods, and the full text was not reviewed. The suggested allocation approaches are proposals, not validated practice.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. Sample sizes, follow-up and detailed methods are not reported in the abstract. Findings are associations, not proof of cause, and the allocation approaches are proposals.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Poganik JR, Matsunaga T, Tyshkovskiy A, Lu A, Haghani A, Zhou H, Martin F, Horvath S, Givertz MM, Tullius SG, Gladyshev VN. · europepmc.org · September 17, 2026