Advancing Multi-Omics Strategies for Precision Healthspan Extension

The field of aging research has rapidly evolved from simply examining lifespan to a broader focus on healthspan, the period during which individuals maintain functional independence and well-being. Recent demographic trends reveal that while lifespans are increasing, many people spend these additional years living with chronic diseases, frailty, and age-associated decline. Breakthroughs in multi-omics technologies - including genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics - have begun to unravel the complex biological processes underlying aging and disease. However, a critical gap remains in translating these advances into actionable insights that precisely target the mechanisms driving functional decline and individual variability in aging. There remains a pressing need to synthesize omics data with clinical phenotypes, environmental variables, and longitudinal follow-up to better predict, prevent, and intervene in age-related deterioration.

This Research Topic aims to catalyze the integration of multi-omics data with real-world clinical and phenotypic information to enable precision longevity. The overarching objective is to define, identify, and validate robust biomarkers and causal mechanisms that influence healthspan, and to demonstrate how tailored preventive and therapeutic interventions can delay age-associated decline. Central questions include: What are the most predictive omics signatures of biological age and resilience? How can we move beyond associations to uncover causal relationships between molecular alterations and functional health outcomes? And how can these discoveries be translated into effective, individualized strategies for extending healthspan across diverse populations? This Research Topic invites studies that address these questions through innovative experimental design implicating the vast array of omics platforms, computational integration, and translational modeling.

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses both basic and translational research into the use of multi-omics to understand, predict, and extend healthspan, while recognizing the importance of methodological rigor and ethical responsibility. We seek articles that advance the field within the following boundaries: the integration and analysis of multi-omics data in relation to healthspan, with a focus on translation to human populations and real-world settings. We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

o Discovery and validation of omics biomarkers of biological age and resilience
o Cardiovascular omics biomarkers for predicting age-related cardiac decline, vascular stiffness, and cardiometabolic disease trajectories
o Integration of longitudinal, clinical, and deep-phenotyping data for trajectory modeling
o Omics and microbiome profiling in immunosenescence and inflammaging
o Multi-omics signatures of intervention response, including pharmacological, nutritional, and behavioral strategies
o Single-cell and spatial omics approaches in tissue-specific aging and cellular senescence
o Computational approaches: causal inference, network analysis, and explainable AI for multi-omics integration
o Standards for data harmonization, transparent reporting, and clinical translation
o Ethical, regulatory, and equity considerations in applying precision longevity tools

In-scope article types include original research articles, reviews, perspectives, methods papers, and clinical protocols reflecting the latest multi-omics innovations in longevity science.

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: Healthspan, Precision longevity, Multi-omics, Biomarkers, Single-cell omics, Spatial omics, Intervention response, Clinical Translation, longitudinal phenotyping

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.