Single-Cell Genomics for Understanding Aging Tissues

Aging is a complex biological process characterized by progressive functional decline at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Traditional bulk genomic analyses often obscure the heterogeneity among cells, hiding crucial insights into how aging impacts individual cells within tissues. Single-cell genomics—the high-resolution profiling of gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and genetic mutations at the level of individual cells—offers a transformative approach for decoding the intricate cellular mosaic of aging tissues.

This Research Topic seeks to explore how single-cell genomics can illuminate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive aging. By applying single-cell sequencing technologies (such as scRNA-seq, scATAC-seq, and multi-omics approaches) to tissues at various life stages, researchers can map the trajectories of different cell types, reveal rare or senescent subpopulations, and uncover how cellular identity and function are altered over time.

Key questions addressed within this topic include:

1. How does cellular heterogeneity change in aged tissues compared to young tissues?

2. What gene expression signatures and epigenetic modifications characterize aging at the single-cell level?

3. How do immune, stem, and differentiated cell populations remodel during aging?

4. What are the emerging molecular pathways and targets for rejuvenation or therapeutic intervention identified through single-cell analysis?

This Research Topic has implications for understanding the fundamental biology of aging, identifying biomarkers of tissue health, and developing strategies to promote healthy aging and combat age-related diseases.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Single-cell genomics, Cellular heterogeneity, Tissue remodeling, scRNA-seq, Multi-omics

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.