What this means
Endothelial cells (ECs) are critical regulators of vascular function and exhibit tissue-specialized roles. During aging, these cells become dysfunctional, resulting in increased susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
A plain-English summary is on its way. Until then, this is the start of the authors' own summary.
- Who it was tested in
- Not stated
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- Uncovering the transcriptional hallmarks of endothelial cell aging via integrated single-cell analysis.
- Authors
- Dobner S, Kleissl L, Tóth F et al.
- Journal
- Nature aging
- Published
- Oct 23, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42919924 ↗
Abstract
Endothelial cells (ECs) are critical regulators of vascular function and exhibit tissue-specialized roles. During aging, these cells become dysfunctional, resulting in increased susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Although single-cell transcriptomics has revealed extensive endothelial heterogeneity, a comprehensive atlas of human EC transcriptomes over the course of the adult human lifespan has been lacking. Here, we present the Human Aging Endothelial Cell Atlas (HAECA), a harmonized single-cell transcriptomic compendium of over 375,000 ECs from 12 human tissues throughout adulthood. We identified age-associated transcriptional shifts, including a decline in angiogenic gene expression in venous ECs and widespread alterations in extracellular matrix and mechanotransduction-associated signatures. Furthermore, we uncovered a p21-linked transcriptional program in ECs, which we linked to cellular senescence in both in vitro and in vivo models. Together, our study provides a high-resolution transcriptomic reference of the human endothelium across tissues and age.
Dobner S, Kleissl L, Tóth F et al. Uncovering the transcriptional hallmarks of endothelial cell aging via integrated single-cell analysis. Nature aging. 2026. doi:10.1038/s43587-026-01247-3. PMID: 42919924. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42919924/