Single-cell, label-free mapping of senescence in tissues with Raman imaging and spatial genomics
Official title: Single-cell label-free identification of senescence by Raman microscopy and spatial genomics
Funded at Massachusetts Institute of Technology · NIH-11518830 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project to map how senescent cells differ across tissues using a noninvasive Raman imaging method combined with spatial genomics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2022 |
| Project end | August 23, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $499,998 |
| NIH project number | 3UH3CA275687-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11518830 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to a specific patient group in this grant since it focuses on technology development; however, insights could eventually benefit people affected by aging-related conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is not immediate; this is a technology development grant, with potential downstream implications for age-related diseases.
What this research studies
This project aims to reveal the diverse states of senescent cells in intact tissues by using a new, label-free Raman microscopy approach paired with spatial multi-omics. Researchers will develop and apply Raman2RNA to infer gene expression from live cells without destroying them, and integrate this with single-cell sequencing data. The work will move beyond traditional methods by capturing biochemical and spatial context over time to understand how senescent cells contribute to aging and tissue function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to better biomarkers and imaging-based strategies to study aging and diseases linked to cell senescence.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier studies show that single-cell and spatial multi-omics can map cell states, and Raman-based methods are advancing label-free analyses, but integrating these into live, longitudinal tissue mapping is still innovative.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: So, Peter T. — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: So, Peter T.
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.