# Monkey Brain Atlas Points to White Matter as an Aging Weak Spot

*Multimodal brain cell atlas across the adult macaque lifespan.*

- **Evidence Level**: Moderate
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: Cell
- **Sample Size**: 23 female cynomolgus macaques across the adult lifespan
- **Authors**: Zhang X, Lai G, Guo X, Ma W, Yuan Y, Zhang H, Zhang B, Fan P, Liu X, Guo P, An J, Li J, Huang K, Li X, Zuo J, Wu L, Shangguan S, Yu F, Xiang Y, Hu Y, Liu Y, Huang Y, Lin Y, He D, Pan M, Chen L, Li B, Zhang J, Guo Q, Yang W, Yin P, Li S, Zhang X, Yang T, Wei X, Lv Y, Qin B, Qing X, Deng Q, Huang Y, Liu C, Han L, Liu S, Qin D, Liu Z, Zhou Y, Qiao L, Li C, Zhang Y, Liu Z, Li Y, Carriba P, Dierssen M, Volpe G, Graf S, Diks IF, Flotho M, Krol RP, Mulder J, Ariaychet C, Hirankarn N, Hutchins AP, Keller A, Maxwell PH, Rubinsztein DC, Muñoz-Cánoves P, Liu X, Tse HF, Poo M, Wang B, Liu L, Gu Y, Xie J, Xu X, Li X, Liu C, Lai Y, Esteban MA, Liu M
- **Published**: 2026-08-18
- **Topics**: Brain Aging, Neuroscience
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.07.045
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42612631/

## Summary

Researchers mapped nearly 3 million brain cells from monkeys across their adult lives, including some very old ones. The brainstem areas that handle basic wiring and signal insulation showed the earliest and heaviest signs of aging. That points to white matter, the brain's insulated cabling, as a key vulnerability. Some of the same patterns showed up in human brain aging data.

---

_Canonical: https://longevity-cities.com/en/research/monkey-brain-atlas-points-to-white-matter-as-an-aging-weak-spot · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-08-18_