Deciphering Age-Dependent ECM Remodelling in Liver: Proteomic Profiling and Its Implications for Aging and Therapeutic Targets.

ABSTRACT: Aging is characterised by progressive structural and functional changes in the liver, with the extracellular matrix (ECM) playing a key role in modulating these changes. Our study presents a comprehensive proteomic analysis of the liver ECM across different age stages, uncovering significant age-related changes. Through the identification of 158 ECM proteins in decellularised rat liver scaffolds, we reveal the intricate relationship between ECM composition and liver maturation, as well as the decrease in regenerative capacity. Lumican was identified as a critical regulator with heightened expression in neonatal livers, which is associated with enhanced hepatocyte proliferation and maintenance of stem cell characteristics. Temporal expression analysis distinguished four distinct clusters of

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12414644 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature