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Li FF, Wang Y, Chen L, Chen C, Chen Q, Xiang L, Rao FQ, Shen LJ, Zheng QX, Yi Q, Huang XF. Causal effects of serum lipid biomarkers on early age-related macular degeneration using Mendelian randomization. GENES & NUTRITION 2023; 18:11. [PMID: 37479984 PMCID: PMC10362672 DOI: 10.1186/s12263-023-00730-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the major causes of vision loss. Early AMD needs to be taken seriously, but the causal effects of lipid biomarkers on early AMD remain unclear. METHODS In this study, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to systematically assess the causal relationships between seven serum lipid biomarkers (apolipoprotein A (ApoA), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), total cholesterol (CHOL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), direct low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein A [Lp(a)], and triglycerides (TG)) and risk of early AMD. In total, 14,034 cases and 91,214 controls of European ancestry were included in the analysis (number of SNPs = 11,304,110). RESULTS MR estimates revealed that a higher HDL-C level is strongly associated with increased risk of early AMD (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.15-1.35, P = 2.61 × 10-8). In addition, level of ApoA is also positively associated with risk of early AMD (OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.50-2.77, P = 6.27 × 10-6). Conversely, higher levels of TG significantly decrease the risk of early AMD (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.71-0.84, P = 5.02 × 10-10). Sensitivity analyses further supported these associations. Moreover, multivariable MR analyses, adjusted for the effects of correlated lipid biomarkers, yielded similar results. CONCLUSION This study identifies causal relationships between elevated circulating HDL-C/ApoA levels and increased risk of early AMD, in addition to finding that TG specifically reduces the risk of early AMD. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of lipid metabolism in drusen formation, particularly in early AMD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen-Fen Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yuqin Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lishuang Chen
- The Ningbo Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, China
| | - Chong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lue Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Feng-Qin Rao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Li-Jun Shen
- Center for Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital,Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qin-Xiang Zheng
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
- The Ningbo Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, China.
| | - Quanyong Yi
- The Ningbo Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, China.
| | - Xiu-Feng Huang
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
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Padovani-Claudio DA, Ramos CJ, Capozzi ME, Penn JS. Elucidating glial responses to products of diabetes-associated systemic dyshomeostasis. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 94:101151. [PMID: 37028118 PMCID: PMC10683564 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in working age adults. DR has non-proliferative stages, characterized in part by retinal neuroinflammation and ischemia, and proliferative stages, characterized by retinal angiogenesis. Several systemic factors, including poor glycemic control, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, increase the risk of DR progression to vision-threatening stages. Identification of cellular or molecular targets in early DR events could allow more prompt interventions pre-empting DR progression to vision-threatening stages. Glia mediate homeostasis and repair. They contribute to immune surveillance and defense, cytokine and growth factor production and secretion, ion and neurotransmitter balance, neuroprotection, and, potentially, regeneration. Therefore, it is likely that glia orchestrate events throughout the development and progression of retinopathy. Understanding glial responses to products of diabetes-associated systemic dyshomeostasis may reveal novel insights into the pathophysiology of DR and guide the development of novel therapies for this potentially blinding condition. In this article, first, we review normal glial functions and their putative roles in the development of DR. We then describe glial transcriptome alterations in response to systemic circulating factors that are upregulated in patients with diabetes and diabetes-related comorbidities; namely glucose in hyperglycemia, angiotensin II in hypertension, and the free fatty acid palmitic acid in hyperlipidemia. Finally, we discuss potential benefits and challenges associated with studying glia as targets of DR therapeutic interventions. In vitro stimulation of glia with glucose, angiotensin II and palmitic acid suggests that: 1) astrocytes may be more responsive than other glia to these products of systemic dyshomeostasis; 2) the effects of hyperglycemia on glia are likely to be largely osmotic; 3) fatty acid accumulation may compound DR pathophysiology by promoting predominantly proinflammatory and proangiogenic transcriptional alterations of macro and microglia; and 4) cell-targeted therapies may offer safer and more effective avenues for DR treatment as they may circumvent the complication of pleiotropism in retinal cell responses. Although several molecules previously implicated in DR pathophysiology are validated in this review, some less explored molecules emerge as potential therapeutic targets. Whereas much is known regarding glial cell activation, future studies characterizing the role of glia in DR and how their activation is regulated and sustained (independently or as part of retinal cell networks) may help elucidate mechanisms of DR pathogenesis and identify novel drug targets for this blinding disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolly Ann Padovani-Claudio
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, B3321A Medical Center North, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232-0011, USA.
| | - Carla J Ramos
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, AA1324 Medical Center North, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232-0011, USA.
| | - Megan E Capozzi
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, 300 North Duke Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
| | - John S Penn
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, B3307 Medical Center North, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232-0011, USA.
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3
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Choudhary M, Malek G. Potential therapeutic targets for age-related macular degeneration: The nuclear option. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 94:101130. [PMID: 36220751 PMCID: PMC10082136 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The functions and activities of nuclear receptors, the largest family of transcription factors in the human genome, have classically focused on their ability to act as steroid and hormone sensors in endocrine organs. However, they are responsible for a diverse array of physiological functions, including cellular homeostasis and metabolism, during development and aging. Though the eye is not a traditional endocrine organ, recent studies have revealed high expression levels of nuclear receptors in cells throughout the posterior pole. These findings have precipitated an interest in investigating the role of these transcription factors in the eye as a function of age and ocular disease, in particular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As the leading cause of vision impairment in the elderly, identifying signaling pathways that may be targeted for AMD therapy is of great importance, given the lack of therapeutic options for over 85% of patients with this disease. Herein we review this relatively new field and recent findings supporting the hypothesis that the eye is a secondary endocrine organ, in which nuclear receptors serve as the bedrock for biological processes in cells vulnerable in AMD, including retinal pigment epithelial and choroidal endothelial cells, and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting these receptors for AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayur Choudhary
- Duke Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Goldis Malek
- Duke Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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4
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Malek G, Campisi J, Kitazawa K, Webster C, Lakkaraju A, Skowronska-Krawczyk D. Does senescence play a role in age-related macular degeneration? Exp Eye Res 2022; 225:109254. [PMID: 36150544 PMCID: PMC10032649 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Advanced age is the most established risk factor for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of visual impairment in the elderly, in Western and developed countries. Similarly, after middle age, there is an exponential increase in pathologic molecular and cellular events that can induce senescence, traditionally defined as an irreversible loss of the cells' ability to divide and most recently reported to also occur in select post-mitotic and terminally differentiated cells, such as neurons. Together these facts raise the question as to whether or not cellular senescence, may play a role in the development of AMD. A number of studies have reported the effect of ocular-relevant inducers of senescence using primarily in vitro models of poorly polarized, actively dividing retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell lines. However, in interpretating the data, the fidelity of these culture models to the RPE in vivo, must be considered. Fewer studies have explored the presence and/or impact of senescent cells in in vivo models that present with phenotypic features of AMD, leaving this an open field for further investigation. The goal of this review is to discuss current thoughts on the potential role of senescence in AMD development and progression, with consideration of the model systems used and their relevance to human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goldis Malek
- Duke Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Judith Campisi
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Koji Kitazawa
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Corey Webster
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA
| | - Aparna Lakkaraju
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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5
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NURR1 expression regulates retinal pigment epithelial-mesenchymal transition and age-related macular degeneration phenotypes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202256119. [PMID: 35867766 PMCID: PMC9282432 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202256119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic variations in the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) layer are often a predecessor and driver of ocular degenerative diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. We previously identified the orphan nuclear receptor-related 1 (NURR1), from a nuclear receptor atlas of human RPE cells, as a candidate transcription factor potentially involved in AMD development and progression. In the present study we characterized the expression of NURR1 as a function of age in RPE cells harvested from human donor eyes and in donor tissue from AMD patients. Mechanistically, we found an age-dependent shift in NURR1 dimerization from NURR1-RXRα heterodimers toward NURR1-NURR1 homodimers in primary human RPE cells. Additionally, overexpression and activation of NURR1 attenuated TNF-α-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration, and modulated EMT-associated gene and protein expression in human RPE cells independent of age. In vivo, oral administration of IP7e, a potent NURR1 activator, ameliorated EMT in an experimental model of wet AMD and improved retinal function in a mouse model that presents with dry AMD features, impacting AMD phenotype, structure, and function of RPE cells, inhibiting accumulation of immune cells, and diminishing lipid accumulation. These results provide insight into the mechanisms of action of NURR1 in the aging eye, and demonstrate that the relative expression levels and activity of NURR1 is critical for both physiological and pathological functions of human RPE cells through RXRα-dependent regulation, and that targeting NURR1 may have therapeutic potential for AMD by modulating EMT, inflammation, and lipid homeostasis.
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6
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Rosmus DD, Lange C, Ludwig F, Ajami B, Wieghofer P. The Role of Osteopontin in Microglia Biology: Current Concepts and Future Perspectives. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10040840. [PMID: 35453590 PMCID: PMC9027630 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10040840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The innate immune landscape of the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and the retina, consists of different myeloid cell populations with distinct tasks to fulfill. Whereas the CNS borders harbor extraparenchymal CNS-associated macrophages whose main duty is to build up a defense against invading pathogens and other damaging factors from the periphery, the resident immune cells of the CNS parenchyma and the retina, microglia, are highly dynamic cells with a plethora of functions during homeostasis and disease. Therefore, microglia are constantly sensing their environment and closely interacting with surrounding cells, which is in part mediated by soluble factors. One of these factors is Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional protein that is produced by different cell types in the CNS, including microglia, and is upregulated in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions. In this review, we discuss the current literature about the interaction between microglia and OPN in homeostasis and several disease entities, including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s and cerebrovascular diseases (AD, CVD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR), in the context of the molecular pathways involved in OPN signaling shaping the function of microglia. As nearly all CNS diseases are characterized by pathological alterations in microglial cells, accompanied by the disturbance of the homeostatic microglia phenotype, the emergence of disease-associated microglia (DAM) states and their interplay with factors shaping the DAM-signature, such as OPN, is of great interest for therapeutical interventions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Freiburg Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; (C.L.); (F.L.)
- Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, 48145 Muenster, Germany
| | - Franziska Ludwig
- Eye Center, Freiburg Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; (C.L.); (F.L.)
| | - Bahareh Ajami
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Peter Wieghofer
- Institute of Anatomy, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
- Cellular Neuroanatomy, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, Augsburg University, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
- Correspondence:
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7
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Pun FW, Leung GHD, Leung HW, Liu BHM, Long X, Ozerov IV, Wang J, Ren F, Aliper A, Izumchenko E, Moskalev A, de Magalhães JP, Zhavoronkov A. Hallmarks of aging-based dual-purpose disease and age-associated targets predicted using PandaOmics AI-powered discovery engine. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:2475-2506. [PMID: 35347083 PMCID: PMC9004567 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Aging biology is a promising and burgeoning research area that can yield dual-purpose pathways and protein targets that may impact multiple diseases, while retarding or possibly even reversing age-associated processes. One widely used approach to classify a multiplicity of mechanisms driving the aging process is the hallmarks of aging. In addition to the classic nine hallmarks of aging, processes such as extracellular matrix stiffness, chronic inflammation and activation of retrotransposons are also often considered, given their strong association with aging. In this study, we used a variety of target identification and prioritization techniques offered by the AI-powered PandaOmics platform, to propose a list of promising novel aging-associated targets that may be used for drug discovery. We also propose a list of more classical targets that may be used for drug repurposing within each hallmark of aging. Most of the top targets generated by this comprehensive analysis play a role in inflammation and extracellular matrix stiffness, highlighting the relevance of these processes as therapeutic targets in aging and age-related diseases. Overall, our study reveals both high confidence and novel targets associated with multiple hallmarks of aging and demonstrates application of the PandaOmics platform to target discovery across multiple disease areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank W Pun
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Geoffrey Ho Duen Leung
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hoi Wing Leung
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bonnie Hei Man Liu
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xi Long
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ivan V Ozerov
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ju Wang
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feng Ren
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Alexander Aliper
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Evgeny Izumchenko
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alexey Moskalev
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University (GMU), Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - João Pedro de Magalhães
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Alex Zhavoronkov
- Insilico Medicine Hong Kong Ltd., Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.,Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
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Du Y, Mao L, Wang Z, Yan K, Zhang L, Zou J. Osteopontin - The stirring multifunctional regulatory factor in multisystem aging. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1014853. [PMID: 36619570 PMCID: PMC9813443 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1014853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional noncollagenous matrix phosphoprotein that is expressed both intracellularly and extracellularly in various tissues. As a growth regulatory protein and proinflammatory immunochemokine, OPN is involved in the pathological processes of many diseases. Recent studies have found that OPN is widely involved in the aging processes of multiple organs and tissues, such as T-cell senescence, atherosclerosis, skeletal muscle regeneration, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative changes, hematopoietic stem cell reconstruction, and retinal aging. However, the regulatory roles and mechanisms of OPN in the aging process of different tissues are not uniform, and OPN even has diverse roles in different developmental stages of the same tissue, generating uncertainty for the future study and utilization of OPN. In this review, we will summarize the regulatory role and molecular mechanism of OPN in different tissues and cells, such as the musculoskeletal system, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, liver, and eye, during senescence. We believe that a better understanding of the mechanism of OPN in the aging process will help us develop targeted and comprehensive therapeutic strategies to fight the spread of age-related diseases.
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