Cell
Published

Multimodal brain cell atlas across the adult macaque lifespan

Authors

Xiao Zhang, Guangyao Lai, Xiangyu Guo, Wen Ma, Yue Yuan, Han Zhang, Bo Zhang, Peng Fan, Xingyuan Liu, Pengcheng Guo, Juan An, Jinxiu Li, Keke Huang, Xiaoyan Li, Jing Zuo, Liang Wu, Shuncheng Shangguan, Feng Yu, Yuchen Xiang, Yuebei Hu, Yuxuan Liu, Yunting Huang, Yiting Lin, Dajian He, Mingtian Pan, Laiqiang Chen, Bang Li, Jiawei Zhang, Qintian Guo, Weili Yang, Peng Yin, Shihua Li, Xiaolan Zhang, Tao Yang, Xiaofeng Wei, Yuan Lv, Baoming Qin, Xiaobing Qing, Qiuting Deng, Yaling Huang, Chang Liu, Lei Han, Shiping Liu, Dajiang Qin, Zhen Liu, Yi Zhou, Liang Qiao, Chengyu Li, Yanxiao Zhang, Zunpeng Liu, Yan Li, Paulina Carriba, Mara Dierssen, Giacomo Volpe, Simon Graf, Ian Ferenc Diks, Matthias Flotho, Rafal P Krol, Jan Mulder, Chaiyaboot Ariaychet, Nattiya Hirankarn, Andrew P Hutchins, Andreas Keller, Patrick H Maxwell, David C Rubinsztein, Pura Muñoz-Cánoves, Xiaolei Liu, Hung-Fat Tse, Muming Poo, Bo Wang, Longqi Liu, Ying Gu, Jun Xie, Xun Xu, Xiaojiang Li, Chuanyu Liu, Yiwei Lai, Miguel A Esteban, Mingyuan Liu
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Abstract

Cell. 2026 Aug 18:S0092-8674(26)00877-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.07.045. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

High-throughput single-cell omics of non-human primate brain tissue provides a powerful platform to investigate the molecular basis of brain aging. Here, we present a comprehensive transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility atlas of 2,955,873 nuclei from eight brain regions of 23 female cynomolgus macaques spanning the adult lifespan, including exceptionally old individuals. Our analyses reveal dynamic, cell-subtype- and region-specific age-related changes in core brain functions, including synaptic communication and axon myelination. We identify multicellular networks in the pons and medulla as a previously unrecognized hotspot of primate brain aging, highlighting white matter vulnerability as a central feature of aging. Integration with human brain aging and neurodegeneration datasets reveals both shared and divergent molecular mechanisms. We further define transcription factors and age-related chromatin remodeling programs linked to longevity and neurodegeneration. This spatiotemporal atlas establishes a foundational framework for understanding the cellular and regulatory architecture of primate brain aging and its links to disease.

PMID:42612631 | DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2026.07.045