Maps of aging cells and their signals in ovaries, breast, and muscle
Official title: Senescence tissue mapping and SASP Atlas for human somatic and reproductive tissues
Funded at Buck Institute for Research on Aging · NIH-11176279 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are creating detailed maps of aging cells and the signals they release in ovaries, breast tissue, and skeletal muscle to help people affected by tissue aging.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Buck Institute for Research on Aging NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Novato, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $515,078 |
| NIH project number | 5U54AG075932-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176279 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be adults who can donate tissue samples—such as women undergoing ovarian or breast surgeries or people willing to provide skeletal muscle biopsies—across a range of ages.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking an immediate treatment or those unwilling to provide tissue samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this mapping project.
What this research studies
This project will collect human ovarian, breast, and skeletal muscle samples and use molecular profiling to locate senescent (aged) cells and catalogue the molecules they secrete (the SASP). The team will coordinate tissue collection, laboratory analyses, and data sharing across the SenNet network to build a searchable atlas. The Administrative Core at the Buck Institute will oversee the biospecimen, biological analysis, and data analysis cores to standardize methods and streamline data processing. The resulting maps and biomarkers will be made available to other researchers studying fertility decline, breast aging, and muscle weakness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors detect tissue aging earlier and guide new treatments that target senescent cells to preserve fertility, breast health, or muscle function.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have identified senescence-related signals in human tissues, but a comprehensive tissue map and SASP atlas across these specific human tissues is a newer and largely untested effort.
Where this research is happening
-
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Novato, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hansen, Malene — Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Study coordinator: Hansen, Malene
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.