Advancing biological understanding of cellular senescence with computational multiomics

Abstract

Cellular senescence is a complex biological process that plays a pathophysiological role in aging and age-related diseases. The biological understanding of senescence at the cellular and tissue levels remains incomplete due to the lack of specific biomarkers as well as the relative rarity of senescent cells, their phenotypic heterogeneity and dynamic features. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of multiomic approaches for the characterization and biological understanding of cellular senescence. The technical capability and challenges of each approach are discussed, and practical guidelines are provided for selecting tools for identifying, characterizing and spatially mapping senescent cells. The importance of computational analyses in multiomics research, including senescent cell identification, signature detection and interactions of senescent cells with microenvironments, is highlighted. Moreover, tissue-specific case studies and experimental design considerations for individual organs are presented. Finally, future directions and the potential impact of multiomic approaches on the biological understanding of cellular senescence are discussed.