NIH SenNet Consortium to map senescent cells throughout the human lifespan to understand physiological health.

Cells respond to many stressors by senescing, acquiring stable growth arrest, morphologic and metabolic changes, and a proinflammatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype. The heterogeneity of senescent cells (SnCs) and senescence-associated secretory phenotype are vast, yet ill characterized. SnCs have diverse roles in health and disease and are therapeutically targetable, making characterization of SnCs and their detection a priority. The Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet), a National Institutes of Health Common Fund initiative, was established to address this need. The goal of SenNet is to map SnCs across the human lifespan to advance diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve human health. State-of-the-art methods will be applied to identify, define and map SnCs in 18 human tissues. A common coordinate framework will integrate data to create four-dimensional SnC atlases. Other key SenNet deliverables include innovative tools and technologies to detect SnCs, new SnC biomarkers and extensive public multi-omics datasets. This Perspective lays out the impetus, goals, approaches and products of SenNet.

Duke Scholars

Author An-Kwok Ian Wong Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

Author Andrew Benjamin Nixon Medicine, Medical Oncology

Author Chi Wei Cliburn Chan Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Integrative Geno ...

Author Carolyn Glass Pathology

Author Matthew Hartwig Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Author William Joseph Evans Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care

Author Pixu Shi Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Integrative Geno ...

Author Jichun Xie Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Integrative Geno ...