Increased ectodysplasin-A2-receptor EDA2R is a ubiquitous hallmark of aging and mediates parainflammatory responses

Abstract

Intensive efforts have been made to identify features that could serve as biomarkers of aging. Yet, drug-based interventions aimed at lessening the detrimental effects of getting older are lacking. This is largely attributable to tissue-specificity, sex-related differences, and to the difficulty of identifying actionable targets, which continues to pose a significant challenge. Here, we implement a bioinformatics approach revealing that aging-associated increase of the transmembrane Ectodysplasin-A2-Receptor is a prominent tissue-independent alteration occurring in humans and other species, and is particularly pronounced in models of accelerated aging. We show that strengthening of the Ectodysplasin-A2-Receptor signalling axis in myogenic precursors and differentiated myotubes suffices to trigger potent parainflammatory responses, mirroring aspects of aging-driven sarcopenia. Intriguingly, obesity, insulin-resistance, and aging-related comorbidities, such as type-2-diabetes, result in heightened levels of the Ectodysplasin-A2 ligand. Our findings suggest that targeting the Ectodysplasin-A2 surface receptor represents a promising pharmacological strategy to mitigate the development of aging-associated phenotypes.