Public Data Reanalysis of Skeletal Muscle Ageing: Cross-Platform Age-Associated Candidates, Fibroblast GPCPD1 Association, and Limits of External Replication

This study tests whether age-associated expression signals in human skeletal muscle persist across public datasets and platforms, and whether those signals can be localized to specific cell types.

Author

Dong Wang

Affiliation

X-LAB

Funding

Younion Global Limited

License

CC BY 4.0

Manuscript ID

BIORXIV/2026/753397

This record documents a submitted manuscript. The public bioRxiv URL, posting date and DOI will be added only after the preprint is posted.

Evidence at a glance

directionally concordant cross-platform candidates

candidates retained in count-model sensitivity analysis

0 / 86

myofiber candidate tests surviving unified correction

fibroblast–GPCPD1 pairing supported within the candidate family

What the study found

The analysis produced a traceable exploratory signal involving lower GPCPD1 expression in human skeletal muscle fibroblasts with age. In the independent baseline dataset, GPCPD1 was directionally lower but not statistically significant (p=0.172; q=0.616 across 43 candidates).

What it does not establish

The evidence does not establish a cell-intrinsic mechanism, causal effect, clinical biomarker or therapeutic target. Independent cell-level replication is still unavailable.

Public data and analysis path

GSE167186

whole-tissue age-associated analysis

GSE136344

cross-platform screening and negative-binomial sensitivity analysis

E-MTAB-13874

donor-level single-nucleus pseudobulk localization

GSE158850

independent baseline directional check

Research trail

01
Research question and public-data scope fixed
02
Cross-platform and cell-type analyses completed
03
Independent checks and limitations audited
04
Manuscript v0.5 submitted to bioRxiv on 22 September 2026
05
Current state: bioRxiv screening