# Spatial omics technologies to map the senescent cell microenvironment

> **NIH NIH UG3** · BROWN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $357,900

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Cellular senescence is a biological program whereby cells exit the cell cycle, typically as a consequence of DNA
damage accumulation. After exerting their beneficial effects in young individuals by playing a role in tissue
homeostasis, wound healing and tumor suppression, senescent cells are recognized and cleared by the immune
system in response to their senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). With age, immunosurveillance
becomes increasingly dysregulated, senescent cells accumulate in tissues and their SASP leads to chronic
inflammation which has been linked to many age-associated diseases including neurodegeneration, diabetes,
osteoarthritis, fibrosis, heart disease and cancer. In addition, radiation and chemotherapy cause the
accumulation of senescent cells in both normal and cancer tissues and create a microenvironment which can
promote tumor relapse. Hence, methods to characterize the diversity of senescent cells in tissues are critical to
improve our understanding of their roles in both normal physiology and disease and to develop more precise
and effective senolytic and senostatic interventions. We propose to develop new technologies and integrative
solutions to map the spatial epigenomic, transcriptome and proteomic states of senescent cells and their
microenvironment in complex tissues. In the UG3 phase, we will develop spatial genomics, transcriptomics and
proteomics methodologies to delineate senescent cells in a diverse set of murine tissues, including brain, liver
and adipose tissue. We will also perform feasibility studies in a limited number of human samples available
through tissue banks and collaborators, and in human cell culture. Our goal is to provide a proof of principle and
evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of our proposed tools, technologies and methods (TTM) to identify and
characterize the heterogeneity of senescent cells in multiple tissues. In the HG3 phase, we will optimize and
expand our methodology to a variety of human tissues obtained from normal samples available from tissue
banks, and via collaborations with other SenNet Tissue Mapping Centers (TMCs).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10384585
- **Project number:** 1UG3CA268202-01
- **Recipient organization:** BROWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JIAN MA
- **Activity code:** UG3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $357,900
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-22 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10384585

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10384585, Spatial omics technologies to map the senescent cell microenvironment (1UG3CA268202-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10384585. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*