Sex-specific nonlinear immune aging in 1,828 healthy people's blood cells
In a single-cell transcriptome of 3.8 million blood cells from 1,828 healthy people aged 19–97, immune aging appeared nonlinear, with gene-expression peaks around age 40 and after 60 and sex-dependent kinetics; sex-stratified biological age clocks outperformed sex-combined models. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The analysis covered 3.8 million PBMCs from 1,828 individuals aged 19–97 years in a multi-ethnic single-cell transcriptome, 35% Asian. [1]
Differential gene expression peaked around age 40 mainly in CD4 T cells and after age 60 mainly in CD8 T cells. [1]
Sex-stratified deep learning biological age clocks outperformed sex-combined models, and the authors propose targeting sex-specific pathways for precision geromedicine. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Single-cell transcriptome analysis of healthy human immune aging (abstract)
- Population / context
- 1,828 healthy individuals aged 19–97 years, 35% Asian, whose PBMCs were analyzed.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 21, 2026
Single-cell blood atlas of 1,828 healthy people
The authors analyzed a multi-ethnic single-cell transcriptome of healthy human immune aging, 35% Asian, comprising 3.8 million peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 1,828 individuals aged 19–97 years. This describes the measured population and material; the abstract does not report how participants were recruited or how many cells came from each person.
Supporting source [1]
Expression peaks near 40 and after 60 years
Prominent peaks of differential gene expression occurred around age 40, mainly in CD4 T cells, and after age 60, mainly in CD8 T cells. These peaks were accompanied by an age-dependent decline in RNA/protein homeostasis and by inflammatory PBMC polarization with sex-dependent kinetics. Females showed sustained CD8 T cell activation and late-life aging signatures in CD4 T, natural killer (NK) and B cells; males showed early-life fluctuations in CD4 T cell immunometabolism associated with hypomethylation of SSH3 at chromosome 11q13.
Supporting source [1]
Sex-stratified clocks and proposed precision geromedicine
Deep learning-based biological age clocks stratified for sex outperformed sex-combined models, learning from transcriptional immune trajectories. The authors describe a nonlinear PBMC aging pattern and suggest that targeting sex-specific pathways might allow precision geromedicine. This is a proposed direction, not a validated intervention; the abstract reports no health or lifespan outcomes and no test of such targeting.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports no recruitment details, no health or lifespan outcomes and no test of targeting sex-specific pathways; the geromedicine idea is a proposal, and observed associations are not causes.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Park H, Le Bert N, Bertoletti A, Tolwinski N, Gruber J, Behmoaras J. · europepmc.org · August 21, 2026