Quantitative Transcriptomic Analysis of NEFH Reveals a Significant Age-Dependent Negative Correlation in Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Background: The identification of robust molecular biomarkers for biological aging is a critical objective for understanding age-related pathophysiology. Neurofilament heavy (NEFH), a key component of the axoskeleton and a known biomarker of neuronal damage, is encoded by the gene NEFH (Ensembl ID: ENSG00000100285). This study investigates the quantitative relationship between chronological age and NEFH expression in human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Methods: Transcriptomic data from human MSCs were analyzed. Gene expression levels of NEFH were correlated with donor chronological age using Pearson correlation analysis. A linear regression model was constructed to quantify the age-dependent expression trend. Results: A statistically significant inverse correlation (r = -0.4316, p = 0.0005) was observed between NEFH expression and advancing age. Expression levels ranged from 1.5963 to 2.8567 (mean = 2.0792, SD = 0.2634). Linear regression analysis yielded an intercept of 2.4429 and a slope coefficient of -0.0066, demonstrating a consistent and quantifiable decrease in NEFH transcript abundance with increasing age. Conclusion: The findings position NEFH as a novel candidate biomarker for biological aging in MSCs. The observed age-dependent downregulation, particularly of a gene associated with neuronal structure, warrants validation in larger cohorts and mechanistic investigation to elucidate its potential role in the age-related decline of MSC neurogenic potential or cellular senescence.