Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified and classified senescent cells—non-dividing cells that accumulate in the human body as part of aging. While these cells are involved in tissue regeneration and wound healing, their buildup over time may contribute to chronic inflammation, scarring, and age-related illnesses. The research aims to deepen understanding of senescent cells to inform treatment strategies for age-related conditions.
A team led by Dr. Carlos Anerillas at the NIH National Institute on Aging developed a new database called the Senescence Catalog (SenCat), which records changes in gene activity and protein levels across 14 types of human senescent cells. The team identified distinct patterns, or “senotypes,” among different senescent cells, with common biochemical pathways related to metabolism, tissue repair, and damage response enhanced in nearly all cell types. Using machine learning, researchers created senescence scores from SenCat data that distinguish senescent from non-senescent cells more effectively than traditional markers. These scores were also used to track senescent cell accumulation in various mouse organs over time.
In a related study, researchers Drs. Nathan Basisty and Bradley Olinger assessed the clinical relevance of senescence-associated proteins identified from SenCat data by measuring their levels in the blood of over 2,000 participants from two long-term aging studies. The results showed these proteins were better predictors of chronological age than non-senescence-associated proteins.
These studies establish a foundational atlas and toolset to characterize senescent cells throughout the human body, which may help accelerate development of interventions targeting these cells to address age-related diseases.