Harvard Study: Transplanted Hearts May Adopt Recipient's Biological Age

New research from Harvard University indicates that transplanted hearts may adapt to the biological age of their recipients. The study, published on the preprint server bioRxiv, observed that hearts from younger donors aged rapidly in older recipients, while older hearts appeared to strengthen within younger individuals.

Stefan G. Tullius, the study's lead and a professor at Harvard Medical School, suggested that transplanting an older organ into a younger recipient might initiate rejuvenation processes in that organ, and he believes this effect could extend beyond the heart.

The research team utilized a mouse model, grafting hearts from mice aged 3 months, 1 year, and 1.5–1.67 years. Four to six months post-operation, tissue samples were analyzed for DNA methylation, a biological marker associated with cellular damage and aging, across approximately 320,000 genetic regions.

Each year, hundreds of individuals die while awaiting organ transplants due to shortages. This scarcity has spurred research into areas like growing organs in pigs and led to revised guidelines aimed at increasing the availability of human hearts. Current transplant programs typically seek donors under 45, but these new findings could potentially alter that standard practice.