IHU HealthAge relies on an omics discovery platform shared between teams and species (human, mouse, fish) at the Toulouse site, in collaboration with leading international centres such as the Buck Institute and the US National Institute on Aging. The aim of this research is to develop, through artificial intelligence models, new biomarkers that allow for the early detection and manipulation of biological decompensations before structural changes occur, which trigger irreversible functional decline and disease.
In addition, IHU HealthAge has established a strong network of scientists working on different key mechanisms of biological ageing, such as mitochondrial function, adipose cell distribution, immune cell function, and exerkines, including the muscle protein apelin. The gathering of these scientists and their connection with IHU HealthAge’s clinical and public health scientific teams offers immense potential to accelerate innovation and translate these mechanisms into clinical applications for healthy longevity.
The two programmes leverage the INSPIRE longevity mirror cohorts established in Toulouse, comprising 1,129 individuals aged from 20 to over 100 years, more than 1,500 mice (Swiss, outbred), and 300 African Killifish, which assess the 6 essential functions measured according to ICOPE programme recommendations. To make this information usable for clinical care, we aim to use artificial intelligence technologies to build practical tools for clinicians.
Furthermore, IHU’s open science platform will, in the future, allow other researchers to upload their raw omic data in an interactive format and have the new ageing clocks analysed by IHU HealthAge. This will enable IHU HealthAge to refine its clocks using global data connected to its Open Science Hub.
