Overview
- The MultiMuTHER study published Thursday tracked 335 women for up to eight years and collected repeated whole-blood gene expression and 1,197 serum metabolite measurements to map how molecules change over time.
- Researchers identified more than 5,000 genes and 181 metabolites that changed with age, showing wide population trends alongside large individual differences in direction and pace of change.
- The team documented immune remodeling with declines in T‑cell (adaptive) gene expression and rises in natural killer (innate) gene expression, patterns linked to chronic low‑grade inflammation in older adults.
- Some gene-level changes were notable for health risk and variability: TP53, a tumor suppressor, declined in some participants and CXCL9, a marker tied to heart aging and inflammation, showed highly individual trajectories.
- Serum PFAS levels fell over time in the cohort, reflecting UK limits on those chemicals, and the authors say blood-based, female UK data limit generalizability and call for broader studies before clinical biomarkers or interventions are possible.