Keywords

Circulating microRNA; Exceptional longevity; Aging biomarkers; Polish centenarians; miRNA expression profiling; Geroscience

Abstract

Exceptional longevity, defined as a lower biological age relative to chronological age and maintenance of functional capacity or a slowing of functional decline, is a phenotype most readily observed in centenarians and nonagenarians. These individuals exhibit a phenomenon known as compressed morbidity, spending substantially less time in poor health compared to younger elderly populations, thus representing a unique human model of delayed aging. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), potent post-transcriptional regulators of molecular pathways, have emerged as important modulators of aging-related pathways; however, no study has comprehensively profiled miRNAs from serum in long-lived individuals from Central Europe. In particular, Polish populations present distinct demographic and nutritional exposures from traditionally studied populations in Okinawa, Italy, and Spain. Previous studies in these non-Polish populations have identified circulating miRNAs responsible for the suppression of hallmark aging pathways, though whether these miRNA profiles are conserved or divergent in Polish centenarians and nonagenarians remains unknown. This study aims to identify circulating miRNAs associated with exceptional longevity in long-lived Polish populations and to determine whether these miRNAs converge with the other miRNA profiles of non-Polish long-lived populations. By assessing both shared and population-specific circulating miRNAs, this study will elucidate conserved regulatory networks across human populations or identify population-specific profiles, thereby clarifying the extent to which miRNA regulation is connected to healthy aging.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Michal Masternak

College

College of Medicine

Department

Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences

Thesis Discipline

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Rights Statement

In Copyright