Research Information System
49. FEBS Congress, İstanbul, Turkey, 5 - 09 July 2025, pp.1, (Summary Text)
Understanding genetic, transcriptomic, and mRNA changes in healthy aging populations is crucial for assessing natural variations in the context of neurodegenerative
diseases. Such studies require a wellmatched, apparently healthy aging population as a control group for comparison. This pilot study examines the genomic and
transcriptomic profiles of healthy elderly individuals (aged 60+) with no chronic diseases, such as neurodegenerative conditions, diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular
diseases. A total of 34 participants (18 females, 16 males, mean age: 71.5 years) were enrolled, undergoing thorough medical evaluations, including medical history,
physical and neurological exams, and biochemical analyses. Whole Genome Sequencing and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing were used to compare genomic and
mRNA sequences, focusing on neurodegenerationrelated pathways. The concept of "senome," referring to genetic and biochemical mechanisms that regulate how cells
respond to environmental signals, plays a key role in this study. The study aims to identify differential variations between genes and transcripts, highlighting that any
differences found should be understood as natural changes. These findings underscore the importance of considering natural variations when studying other diseases.
Despite the small sample size, the results provide insights for largerscale investigations and stress the importance of healthy aging populations as controls in
neurodegenerative disease research.