Spatial mapping of cellular senescence: emerging challenges and opportunities.

Cellular senescence is a well-established driver of aging and age-related diseases. There are many challenges to mapping senescent cells in tissues such as the absence of specific markers and their relatively low abundance and vast heterogeneity. Single-cell technologies have allowed unprecedented characterization of senescence; however, many methodologies fail to provide spatial insights.

Eliminating Senescent Cells Can Promote Pulmonary Hypertension Development and Progression.

Background: Senescent cells (SCs) are involved in proliferative disorders, but their role in pulmonary hypertension remains undefined. We investigated SCs in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and the role of SCs in animal pulmonary hypertension models.

Methods: We investigated senescence (p16, p21) and DNA damage (γ-H2AX, 53BP1) markers in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and murine models.

Phospholipase A2 receptor 1 promotes lung cell senescence and emphysema in obstructive lung disease.

Background: Cell senescence is a key process in age-associated dysfunction and diseases, notably chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We previously identified phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R1) as a positive regulator of cell senescence acting Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signalling. Its role in pathology, however, remains unknown.

The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine protects from lung emphysema but induces lung adenocarcinoma in mice.

Oxidative stress is a major contributor to chronic lung diseases. Antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) are broadly viewed as protective molecules that prevent the mutagenic effects of reactive oxygen species. Antioxidants may, however, increase the risk of some forms of cancer and accelerate lung cancer progression in murine models.