# Washington University Senescence Tissue Mapping Center (WU-SN-TMC)

> **NIH NIH U54** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $1,499,999

## Abstract

Overall Project Summary/Abstract
Cellular senescence has been characterized as a state of irreversible cell-cycle arrest coupled with a secretory
program that can profoundly impact the tissue microenvironment. Our current understanding of senescence is
largely based on cell culture and model-based studies. Research on the relevant signaling pathways and
mechanisms underlying cellular senescence across human tissues over time is lacking. Our ability to leverage
recent advances in omics and molecular imaging technologies enables us to investigate the transcriptional
changes and secretory features driving and/or associated with senescence at higher depths and resolution
than ever before. Here, we propose to develop the Washington University Senescence Tissue Mapping Center
(WU-SN-TMC) within the NIH Senescence Network (SenNet). Our WU-SN-TMC will develop cellular
senescence atlases using 500 human samples from four essential tissue types: bone marrow, breast,
colon, and liver. We will first optimize our omics and imaging technologies and platforms for capturing,
detecting, characterizing, and visualizing senescent cells; develop computational tools and models for accurate
identification of senescent cells and markers; construct breast, bone marrow, colon, and liver senescence
atlases in spatial and temporal contexts; and assess the landscape and heterogeneity of senescence. With
these initial atlases, we will further characterize, validate, and define cellular senescence phenotypes and
biomarkers using perturbation methods and investigate the interactions between senescent cells and the
senescence-associated microenvironment. Finally, we will work with other SenNet centers to build
comprehensive, major organ/tissue senescence atlases by integrated and comparative studies of all SenNet
data across tissue types, time, sex, age, and ancestry groups. As a member of the SenNet program, WU-SN-
TMC will employ state-of-the-art omics and imaging technologies, including bulk proteogenomics, single cell
sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, CODEX molecular imaging, 3D light sheet microscopy plus expansion
technologies that are likely to mature over the funding period, such as single molecule sequencing, to generate
high-resolution, multi-parameter biomarkers and maps of cellular senescence in the four tissue types selected.
We have the established infrastructure and expertise to successfully conduct this work, including high quality
biospecimen collection, omics and imaging data production, experimental confirmation and validation, and high
throughput, standardized, and reproducible data analysis. In conclusion, we will work closely with other SenNet
centers and the Consortium Organization and Data Coordination Center (CODCC), to generate comprehensive
atlases across major human tissue types under various physiological conditions, including changes across the
human lifespan.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10492569
- **Project number:** 5U54AG075934-02
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** FENG CHEN
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,499,999
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10492569

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10492569, Washington University Senescence Tissue Mapping Center (WU-SN-TMC) (5U54AG075934-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10492569. Licensed CC0.

---

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