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Single-cell omics in ageing: a young and growing field

Nature Metabolism volume 2, pages 293–302 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Organismal ageing results from interlinked molecular changes in multiple organs over time. The study of ageing at the molecular level is complicated by varying decay characteristics and kinetics—both between and within organs—driven by intrinsic and extracellular factors. Emerging single-cell omics methods allow for molecular and spatial profiling of cells, and probing of regulatory states and cell-fate determination, thus providing promising tools for unravelling the heterogeneous process of ageing and making it amenable to intervention. These new strategies are enabled by advances in genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic technologies. Combined with methods for proteome and metabolome analysis, single-cell techniques provide multidimensional, integrated data with unprecedented detail and throughput. Here, we provide an overview of the current state, and perspectives on the future, of this emerging field. We discuss how single-cell approaches can advance understanding of mechanisms underlying organismal ageing and aid in the development of interventions for ageing and ageing-associated diseases.

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Fig. 1: Single-cell platforms for studying organismal ageing.
Fig. 2: Building a comprehensive and integrative atlas of human ageing.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank M. Song, W. Zhang, S. Wang, J. Li and S. Ma for proofreading the manuscript. The authors are also grateful to L. Bai, R. Bai, J. Lu, Q. Chu, Y. Yang, S. K. Ma and M. Schwarz for administrative assistance. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC2000100), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA16010100), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFA0107203), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81921006, 81625009, 91749202, 81861168034, 31671429 and 91949209), the Program of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission (Z191100001519005), the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Z190019), the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (PXM2018_026283_000002), the Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection (3500-1192012), the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KFZD-SW-221), K.C. Wong Education Foundation (GJTD-2019-06) and the State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology. J.C.I.B. and S.M. were supported by the Moxie Foundation and the Glenn Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

    Xiaojuan He & Guang-Hui Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Xiaojuan He & Guang-Hui Liu

  3. Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Sebastian Memczak & Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte

  4. State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jing Qu

  5. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jing Qu & Guang-Hui Liu

  6. Institute of Stem Cells and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jing Qu & Guang-Hui Liu

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X.H., S.M., J.Q., J.C.I.B. and G.-H.L. wrote the manuscript.

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He, X., Memczak, S., Qu, J. et al. Single-cell omics in ageing: a young and growing field. Nat Metab 2, 293–302 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-020-0196-7

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