Multi-omics Strategy Reveals Natural Sources as Potential Therapeutic Agents against Type-II Diabetes in the Aging Population

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major chronic metabolic disease worldwide and is especially prevalent in older adults. Although many synthetic drugs are available for elderly patients, adverse effects and polypharmacy risks often limit long-term use. Herbal medicines and other natural products, which have been used for centuries, are promising complementary sources for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders, including T2D.T2D involves multi-organ dysfunction and complex mechanisms, such as impaired insulin secretion, insulin resistance, adipose dysregulation, increased intestinal carbohydrate absorption, and enhanced renal glucose reabsorption. Natural products have shown potential to modulate several of these processes, but their molecular mechanisms, multi-target effects, and system-level actions remain incompletely understood—particularly in the aging population.Multi-omics approaches—including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and emerging technologies such as single-cell and spatial/spatio-temporal transcriptomics and mitochondrial omics—provide powerful tools to map disease networks, identify key pathways and biomarkers, and screen actionable therapeutic targets. Integrating omics data with bioinformatics and systems pharmacology can help clarify how natural products act across cells, tissues, and organs, and may reveal new therapeutic opportunities for elderly T2D.This Research Topic aims to explore the anti-diabetic mechanisms of natural products (and relevant synthetic compounds derived from or inspired by natural scaffolds) in elderly T2D, using technological approaches including but not limited to metabolomics, genomics, proteomics, and integrative multi-omics analysis.We welcome submissions including, but not limited to:• Omics + bioinformatics studies investigating the pathogenesis of T2D in older adults and identifying potential therapeutic targets and drug candidates.• Natural or synthetic compounds with therapeutic potential for elderly T2D, including studies clarifying key molecular mechanisms and target pathways.• Multi-omics combined with network pharmacology/systems pharmacology to reveal synergistic interactions between natural medicines and molecular networks relevant to elderly diabetes.• Advanced omics methods, including single-cell and spatial/spatio-temporal transcriptomics (alone or integrated with other omics), to investigate T2D mechanisms and treatment responses in aging. Topic editors: Zeqing Wu, Zongwei Wang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77429/multi-omics-strategy-reveals-natural-sources-as-potential-therapeutic-agents-against-type-ii-diabetes-in-the-aging-population