Microarray Analysis of Ageing-related Signatures and Their Expression in Tumors Based on a Computational Biology Approach

Ageing and cancer have been associated with genetic and genomic changes. The identification of common signatures between ageing and cancer can reveal shared molecular mechanisms underlying them. In this study, we collected ageing-related gene signatures from ten published studies involved in six different human tissues and an online resource. We found that most of these gene signatures were tissue-specific and a few were related to multiple tissues. We performed a genome-wide examination of the expression of these signatures in various human tumor types, and found that a large proportion of these signatures were universally differentially expressed among normal vs. tumor phenotypes. Functional analyses of the highly-overlapping genes between ageing and cancer using DAVID tools have identified important functional categories and pathways linking ageing with cancer. The convergent and divergent mechanisms between ageing and cancer are discussed. This study provides insights into the biology of ageing and cancer, suggesting the possibility of potential interventions aimed at postponing ageing and preventing cancer.