Disruption in Inter-Organ Communication with Age: Cellular and Molecular Aspects

Aging is not simply the cumulative decline of individual tissues, but a systemic phenomenon underpinned by changes in communication among organs. In youth, a complex network of hormones, cytokines, metabolites, and extracellular vesicles facilitates homeostasis by allowing organs to exchange information efficiently. However, with advancing age, this inter-organ communication network becomes progressively compromised. The result is dysregulation of metabolic, immune, and regenerative processes, contributing to multimorbidity and reduced physiological resilience observed in the elderly. Understanding the cellular and molecular disruptions in these signaling pathways is crucial to unveiling potential therapeutic targets for healthy aging.

This Research Topic aims to gather contributions that explore how aging disrupts inter-organ communication at the cellular and molecular levels. We are interested in submissions that illuminate new mechanisms, identify novel biomarkers, or propose interventions that could restore effective inter-organ signaling with age. Particular emphasis will be placed on robust, AI-enhanced multiomics approaches and computational modeling, which provide holistic, high-resolution insights into systemic aging.

All article types are welcome, including original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, methods, hypotheses and theory papers, systematic reviews, case reports, and brief research reports.

Themes of Interest

We invite articles focused, but not limited to, the following themes.

Molecular Mediators of Cross-Talk:

Studies examining age-related alterations in hormones, cytokines, metabolites, and extracellular vesicles as messengers of inter-organ communication.

Cellular Senescence and the Secretome:

Investigations into the impact of senescent cell accumulation and their secretory profiles (SASP) on local and systemic signaling.

Organ System Interdependencies:

Research on bidirectional or networked dysfunction—e.g., gut-brain, muscle-liver, adipose-pancreas communication—and how their disruption accelerates age-associated decline.

Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Remodeling:

The influence of aging-associated ECM changes on signaling molecule diffusion and reception between organs.

Systems Biology and AI Integration:

Application of multiomics, machine learning, and systems-level computational approaches to unravel complex inter-organ networks in aging.

Therapeutic Strategies:

Identification or development of interventions (pharmacological, lifestyle, bioengineering) to reverse or mitigate age-related disruption in inter-organ signaling.

Novel Biomarkers:

Discovery and validation of circulating biomarkers that reflect inter-organ communication status and aging burden.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Inter-organ communication, Aging, Cellular Signaling, Molecular Mechanisms, Senescence

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.