Aging

Senescent cells, which are in a state of essentially irreversible cell cycle arrest but remain viable, accumulate with aging in various organs, including the heart. Senescent cells secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors to propagate aging both within the heart and to other organs. Inflammation causes cardiac aging, which leads to heart failure and aging in other organs. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown.

In this project, we will elucidate how cardiac aging and its propagation occur by using a multiomics approach, including single-cell analysis and spatial transcriptome analysis, and identify intracellular signaling pathways and SASP factors that could be therapeutic targets for heart failure and accompanying organ damages.