The heterogeneity of cellular senescence: insights at the single-cell level

Senescent cells are highly associated with aging and pathological conditions and could be targeted to slow the aging process. One commonly used marker to examine senescent cells in vivo is p16, which has led to important discoveries. Recent studies have also described new senescence markers beyond p16 and have highlighted the importance of investigating senescence heterogeneity in cell types and tissues. With the development of high-throughput technologies, such as single-cell RNA-seq and single-nucleus RNA-seq, we can examine senescent cells at the single-cell level and potentially uncover new markers. This review emphasizes that there is an urgent need to investigate senescence heterogeneity and discuss how this could be accomplished by using advanced technologies and sequencing datasets.

Automated summary

Senescent cells play a significant role in aging and disease, and targeting them could slow down the aging process. The commonly used marker p16 has led to important discoveries, but new markers and investigating heterogeneity are crucial. Advanced technologies like single-cell RNA-seq can help uncover new markers and the urgent need to investigate senescence heterogeneity.